Destinysmith Saga: Gundam SEEDLING
by Amion the O
Summary: The double helix of DNA, the absolute measure for what makes us Human Beings. What if you separated the two? What if you could change your blueprint? Is this Man's key to freeing himself of Destiny, or was there ever such a thing at all? Stormclouds gather as Mankind drives itself into a war with two sides and one future that can't be shared…
1. Phase 000 Birthplace of Sin

**Author's Note: **Welcome, reader. I am glad to see SEEDLINGS has taken your interest. Forgive the disclaimer, it won't take much of your time. I don't own the concept or franchise of Gundam, be that tragedy or blessing is your own to judge. I would also like to make mention of Maderfole's Golden Age Trilogy, as a number of his iconic characters may appear or be mentioned in passing within this work. Violence and gore will be kept to a minimal as possible, however do expect varying amounts in this chapter and subsequent releases. And now, please step back several years before the Bloody Valentine War...to a prestigious institute on the verge of making history...

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Destinysmith Saga Book 1

SEEDLING

-PHASE 000 Birthplace of Sin-

C.E 55, Mendel Space Colony, GARM R&D

The doors to the reception room hissed open, followed by footsteps on the sterile white floor. The man in the business suit halted in front of the desk, briefcase in his left hand, the other placed firmly on the little boy with long, curly golden locks.

The child stood beside his father, for it could be no one else given their likeness. The child looked pouty, like this whole adventure was all together putting him off and he wanted to go out and play somewhere else more exciting than the place where he had been conceived.

The receptionist frowned slightly and pressed an intercom switch hidden beneath the desk the very moment the businessman spoke in an authoritative and impatient demand.

"Bring Hibiki here. I have some business to discuss with him about my Legacy."

The boy jerked away from his father, only to have the hand still on his shoulder vice shut, digging fingers into muscle all the way to the bone. Gritting his teeth, the boy seethed in pain for a few moments, scrunching his shoulders, only managing to make it worse for himself. After a few moments Al relented.

Little Al Jr. looked sideways up at the senior, like a mouse fearfully surveying an eagle standing watch over it. The pain in his eyes said it all for him, _why?_

In answer to his "Legacy's" unspoken question, Al Da Flaga merely looked down with an enigmatic, almost knowing smile, like he were grinning in equal parts triumph and humor to some personal joke.

A door near the far end of the room with the words "Authorized Personnel Only" in big red letters and encircled by yellow and black warning bars swung open.

Al jerked his head around in an instant, putting his now free right hand akimbo, "I have to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule, Doctor Hibiki," Al said cordially in a soft, disarming voice. His grin and twinkling eyes portrayed a mocking aspect to that voice, even though it came from the startling sapphire irises and not the tone.

"I told you not to call me that if you plan on using the title against me, _Flaga_."

"Sir! Mr. Flaga is a-

-Go help my wife, she's having 'those' pains again," The doctor snapped, waving a hand, his smooth, boyish features twisting in a flash of severe agitation.

"I extract any perceived insult," Al raised the previously propped arm in supplication, "Ulen, then?"

"Yes-I mean, do as you like," Ulen Hibiki replied, stuttering over his words as he attempted to slick back the golden bangs falling across his face in a manner worthy of some heartthrob.

Al grinned at this. The man had charms to turn every woman's head in the room. Lucky for them Via Yula managed to fall into this lion's clutches in their stead. _Pitiful woman, I hope her pregnancy satisfies her. _"Having trouble deciding what your clients should call you again?" He mocked.

Ulen's face contorted, muscles bunching up tight against his large labcoat. Al La Flaga enjoyed prodding at him because he knew he could get away with it. "I merely ask for some respect, _Al._"

"Now, there's no need for inflected given names. Speaking of, my Legacy here wants to have his birth certificate changed."

"What do I look like a forger? Go see Durandal about that!"

"I'm not here for the lackey. Or is my money not good enough for the likes of the higher branches of medical thought?" Al indicated the case in his hand, wriggled it by his side like a piece of cheese for a mouse, grinning the whole time like this were a game.

"Damn you," Ulen muttered, "Step into my office."

"I certainly hope you have corrected that err, disagreeable little roadhump."

Ulen's body froze slightly, visible because of his muscular frame fighting to rip his clothing. Al frowned. Ulen always had an Olympian body, but never _quite _this buff. Had he been dabbling in enhancements to the human body _after _initial conception—on himself? It did seem plausible. "I expect answers after I ask them, Ulen. Preferably within the immediate future. At present, we're dangerously close to running into the latter limits of 'immediate'."

"That problem is," Ulen glanced down at Al Jr., or whatever Al Senior planned to call the guinea pig, eyes squinting as if the scientist wanted to snivel at a piece of revolting pictures of rape or mutilation. "That problem is currently unsolvable."

Al's demeanor changed in an instant, his willpower unchecked. _BANG. _The briefcase impacted the black metal desk with a reverberating tremor running through its length, an almost humming _znnn. _The air stilled, even though the space between the two men fairly crackled with the unseen energy of two wills colliding in a staring match.

Ulen raised a clinched fist, "It's a problem I can't help, but given more funding-

-I see! So _that's _your game, eh!" Al spread his arms wide laughing like he might go on for several minutes at it before cutting the hysterical chuckle off in an instant. His face fell into an almost calm, though his mouth still turned up into a deadly smile, like a skeleton's. "Know this, Ulen Hibiki," one hand came to rest on Al's hip, while the other pointed at the briefcase, "what lies inside here made you, it can also unmake you as easily as you do your experiments. You're god to everything but me. But to me, _you _are the man and I am the Creator. Now settle down," Al turned to his Legacy and gently guided him forward with one hand, "Al here wants a new name. I admit I scoffed at first, but he seems to think it for the best. I have no argument, given who we are."

Little Al looked up at the two men and frowned. "I don't want to be called Al Da Flaga."

"Then what do you want?" Ulen demanded, rubbing his forehead. "I really, really need to get back to the project. It's in the crucial stage right now and we've gotten death threats all day. Some fool with loose lips sold us out last week to Blue Cosmos terrorists. The media is eating us alive—I had to banish them from the whole district in order to get some peace."

"You might try starting with that Receptionist," Al suggested helpfully, opening up the briefcase and setting out two green bricks of taped up Atlantic Federation Dollar bills, used throughout the space colonies, since most had been financed by the AtFed. "And don't think I plan on giving you all of this until you fix the problem. I want a proper clone of myself Ulen. A proper one and not a partial experiment like you've made of poor Rau."

"Rau?"

"This should answer that question," Al handed over a white piece of paper with cursive scribbling, obviously from a child's inexperienced hand.

Ulen took the paper, "Rau Le Creuset," he read with not a small amount of exasperation in his tone. The paper and his open palm met the table with almost equal crash as the briefcase had. "Fine. I'll get Durandal on it, he knows how to work the system in the Atlantic Federation like that, has some friend there named Copland or somebody up in the high echelons of state." Ulen reached for the briefcase's handles.

Al easily knocked Ulen's hand away and shook his head sadly like Ulen were a naughty child with his hands in the cookie jar, "you don't get permission to dip your hand in the barrel until you give me some results, _Ulen_."

"Stop saying my name like that! It's obvious you don't respect my work!" Ulen leaned forward, amber gold eyes blazing with furious rage.

"I don't? Is that how I ended up with three defective clones?"

"#2 is receiving treatment now. We're getting help from the Borander family on this one, they have the expertise and interest in the success of the project."

Al frowned. "Don't bring that brood of vipers into this." He took the cash and stuffed it back into the briefcase.

"What are you doing!?"

_As if it wasn't obvious, _Al laughed inside, outwardly keeping on a professional's stoic face in the presence of an angry business partner who's contract is terminated abruptly. "Returning my assets to a place safe from your greedy clutches, Hibiki. You don't require my resources now that you have an even bigger pot to dip in," Al turned to go. "I expect that card for Rau within the week. I've decided not to abandon him completely without doing _something. _He can go to boarding school until he's old enough for a position in Zodiac Armories. They've been booming with business ever since they put out that Mistral line of worker pods. Charming things, Mistrals, with their cute little robot arms. Makes me think one day we might manage to build real giants," he flashed a friendly smile over his shoulder, golden curls falling about his sapphire eyes, "on my son's shoulders I hope." He settled one hand into his pant pocket, "Do remember to make this last batch of hopefuls work, Dear Hibiki. Otherwise…remember all I know about your work and what some of my less tolerant friends think of your work."

"Don't even _dare_," hissed Ulen, face flushing with rage. "You won't tell a fucking thing to Bruno!"

"I was talking about Atticus, actually. He is far, far more open-minded than my cousin, regretfully. Yet another taint in my son's bloodstream I want purged from my name. Make sure #3 comes out perfect and you'll receive no trouble, Ulen."

"Fuck you too!" Shouted Hibiki, grabbing something to throw and only finding the wad of paper with Creuset's scribbles, he wadded it up and tossed it.

Smirking disdainfully, Al Da Flaga raised the briefcase to block the shot, let one finger rise up in a waggle before opening the door and stepping outside into the hall, "have a nice day, _Doctor Hibiki,_ Atticus may find it so sad to hear you can't produce good clones. He will be very disappointed. And you know how he gets when he's disappointed."

Al Da Flaga swept out the doors of the building, the famous workplace of revolutionary biochemists and engineers like Ulen Hibiki, the prolific, nay, premier authority on the new field of genetically modified humans.

"It'd be an awful stain on him, the public learning he's a failure at recreating what genetics have already given. Hmmph, let's see people come to him to have their unborn babies enhanced if they learn he can't even create a clone without messing up the untampered-with DNA. Hahahah. Well…Rau? Rau?" Al stopped and glanced around. He went over the chauffeur standing by his car, "Ades, did Rau not come out here right away?"

"I believed he was with you Sir."

"But did he not come this way?" Al looked around in confusion.

"Not at all Sir. Sir-

-yes, yes. I have to make a call," Al said, glancing at his watch. "It's that worthless brat Mu's birthday today. It's such a shame I won't be able to make it to the birthday ball his mother put on. Best go confess to her that Rau is not perfect after all. Well, the next one will be at least," Al stepped on into the car and let Ades go search for his defective clone number 1. Rau was just the prototype after all. When in pursuit of perfection as great as he was, Al knew that patience was key.

As he always said the true key to understanding if Providence of some order exists, is to simply look in a mirror. Some men were monkeys, that was true. Oh how it was true. Others like himself were living proof of a divine creator. There just wasn't a way to get something like Al Da Flaga otherwise.

"Haha, poor Rau. Probably wanted to go talk to his replacements and warn them about how tough I can be. A good squeeze on the arm will do well setting him on the right path again. I do hope Durandal hurries with that false ID. I want the kid gone, he's almost as bad as Mu, were it not for that Azrael blood."

"If I didn't know better, it would lead me to suspect you thought poorly of your wife's family," an old, gruff voice sniffed from the video communications screen built into the back of the driver's seat, so he assumed at first, until he caught movement out of the corner of his downturned eyes.

Al froze, hand still typing away on his Blackdroid. "What?" He snapped his head up.

Bruno Azrael, his father in law, turned to look at him from the driver's seat. And for that horrid moment of terrible realization, Al Da Flaga couldn't speak as he stared his 'father' in the face from across a few feet, and not the screen. "Ah, aha. What brings you here, Father?"

The doors _clicked _locked, and Al found his own personal controls disabled somehow. "Nice…to have you drop by…What brings you here did you say?" He tentatively tried to pull up the lock, only to have it fight him in a battle he knew his fingers couldn't win.

"Oh, some business with an _Environmental Conservation Group. _They're having a BIG demonstration," Bruno said slowly, rubbing his golden beard with a knowing smile.

"Where…will that be taking place…?"

"Why, we have front row seats Al," Bruno drawled, turning his head back and sweeping his hand in front of the window, filled with the vista of the GARM R&D institute.

* * *

SEED

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"Damn your ideas woman!" Ulen bellowed, slamming Via against the rail. They stood in the brightly lit incubation hall, the very heart and soul of Mendel Labs, a vast square room with multiple catwalks crisscrossing to five different floors of machinery and carefully maintained equipment built into the sides of the room on platforms, with ladders and even elevators in some cases leading to them for quicker access.

Down below the catwalks, metal canisters shining from daily polish beeped in time with status lights on their sides, all of them in row upon row numbering a grand total of one hundred and sixty seven. A complex gridwork of warehouse cranes hung suspended from the ceiling above each one, ready for the time in which one of these canisters failed in its vital purpose on which many lives depended.

Not just lives, but the lives of the perfect people! The fulfillment of Mankind's every desire! The cure for all the world's woes!

"Can't you see that!?" Ulen pleaded with his wife, tears springing to his eyes even as he half crouched in front of her, the collar to her brown shirt and buttoned labcoat yanked up almost to his snarling white teeth.

"Aouh," Via Hibiki cried, as Ulen shook her again viciously.

"Don't 'aahgh' me! Can't you see? This is PROGRESS! PROGRESS VIA! Do you want all _our _children's lives to be for _NOTHING!"_

"NO! Let GO, Ulen!"

"YOU DO!" He threw her back. "And now you try to rip my Son away from me. MY SON! My son out of the artificial womb I created just so you could..could, have a freak reverse…reverse C section! That's the most deranged idea I've ever heard of! That's no surprise, coming from YOU!"

"I want my child back," Via replied, voice surprisingly calm as she stood, the tears running down her cheeks unwiped.

Ulen heaved, each one a strain on the already stressed buttons of his collared shirt and labcoat. He unbuttoned the white garment, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. "Everything depends on this! I have to succeed! We are _this _close Via and you almost ruined all of it!"

_Skrnk._

Ulen ignored the squeak of some valve somewhere opening, not an uncommon sound here.

"Don't you see what _you _are doing? Ulen, wake up! That's a human life in there," Via flung her arm out over the mass of cylinders.

"They are the future!"

"They're not a science experiment Ulen, they're human beings!"

"So what? Most of them are abortion attempts anyway. By the standards of most civilized law they're tissue, heartbeat or not!"

"You-you can't do this to Kira! I want him back I"-she hitched, swallowing as Ulen took her by the arms, clamping both hands about her like a grab does a fish.

"Get back to work," he snarled, "or I might decide to do the same with the _other _one."

_Squeeeeenk. _A long, piercing noise like metal against metal reverberated through the incubation room. "What? What was that?" Demanded Ulen, looking around with growing fury. He let go of his wife and stepped to the other side of the catwalk, peering up at some of the machinery.

"I'm leaving, Ulen! I'm going back to Orb," Via shouted, apparently oblivious to the potential dangers present.

Pipes ran down from a series of vats where that shriek of metal resonated—pump systems used for a variety of uses, the most important of which in Ulen's mind was the proper filtering of amniotic fluid into the wombs. Amniotic fluid and the proper levels was crucial in a normal womb, incredibly vital in the artificial vats he created. Unlike the human body, science didn't yet know just how much or how little was needed at any given moment, it required constant testing. Thus, the numerous artificial vats, each receiving and removing a certain amount of fluid constantly regulated by scientists under Ulen's direct watch. If it got too hot, or too much got exchanged too quickly it could lead to severe lung health complications and a host of others besides, such as pressure or acid buildup. The wombs weren't quite as elastic as a woman's, after all, instead featuring 'tube's in which the baby lay, cushioning them against shock and allowing for transportation to a more stable womb if something went wrong with their current one.

Another screech, this one accompanied by a pair of light footsteps running along the metal mesh floor.

"Who's there?" Ulan called, looking around with suspicion. If anyone thought they could so much as lay a finger on _his _son during the last stages of pregnancy than they were in for a nasty surprise. He patted the concealed weapon within his lab coat. He carried the Cosmic Era's equivalent to a Glock21 in his pocket—and had been practicing his draw and aim ever since the terror group Blue Cosmos reared its head several years ago in response to his genetic miracles—as well as his nifty backup.

The backup in question was a plastic pneumatic airgun, hand-crafted by none other than his own hands. Ulen was proud not of the weapon itself but mostly of the ammunition fired, a tiny needle made of crystallized—well, that would be telling. Suffice to say his little sedative could pierce the skin and attack the nervous system quickly, effectively shutting it down in seconds. There was not a single mind capable of finding any sign of toxin in the bloodstream, even around the point of injection. Well, he could do it and maybe his protégé, Gilbert, but they both knew what to look for.

He even had his first shot loaded with a variant designed to simply incapacitate the target of choice—and had been seriously considering using it on that stuck-up-the-ass Flaga back in the office and dumping him into a pool of ammonia. This formula was a truth serum as well. If someone came after his little boy, he'd be making sure that someone told all about who sent him and where Ulen could find them. And even if they resisted his poison? Well, this lab could be pretty scary for the uneducated urchin, who would be a very well educated urchin by the end. Though the fear factor was seldom remedied.

Via yelled something and he heard an alarm go off that set him running back the way he came. "The pH levels!"

Squeak.

_No, it can't be. Did they…_not able to form the thoughts necessary in the growing fog of panic, Ulen practically flew across the catwalk and leapt up the access ladder two or even three rungs at a time. "STOP!" He screamed at whatever lunatic was meddling with the pump system.

"ULEN!" Via screamed back.

"Doctor Hibiki, Womb 03's acidity levels have reached critical!"

"Extract now! Put Kira in 04!"

"Anmiotic levels rising in all wombs starting from 27 to 16!" Another voice cried over the intercom in disbelief. "Doctor!"

"Just do it! Eject Lacy!"

"But she's-

-DO IT!" He screamed, even as his heart broke to pieces with a thousand violent emotions. Lacy was one of his earlier daughters, with several physical disorders caused by the prototype womb used to develop her. Too little amniotic fluid back then, and she would never survive long outside the stable Womb 04. But he couldn't sacrifice his perfect son Kira for her life, his failures that made her imperfect or not.

"Alkalize the capsules!" He shouted, already full aware that flooding the wombs would be a disaster in itself, but if they couldn't manage to turn off the acidic solution…He heard the sound of rushing water through a pipe beside him, and confirmed his fears.

"God Damn idiot!" Ulen berated both himself and whoever did this, stopping by a yellow wheel, the valve had been opened all the way to full—manually—the rushing water flooding the pipes and into the wombs, feeding into one after the other. This was the high-acidity reservoir, which usually got mixed carefully by Ulen or Gilbert one with the base solution, and put through five separate mixers to test before sending it down the main line to the incubating fetuses below. With this much acid the pH levels would be practically lethal for unprotected infants.

"Ulen, we have unauthorized personnel in the Samples Room," Gilbert Durandal's frantic voice called out from a speaker nearby.

"Someone's been in already," Ulen shouted back, staring in disbelief at the mutilated console. It stank of corroding wires and electronics, with hissing sounds from within as the acid continued to work its way deeper into the delicate circuitry like hot urine in snow. An empty and recently opened bucket of hydrofluoric acid stood nearby. The bucket should be in the Samples Room, where the acid was used as a cleaning agent and for refrigerants when dealing with the pathogen-laden samples, such as removed fetuses and other…experiments Ulen considered unsavory.

Gunshots rang out close by, jolting Ulen out of his moment of careful observation.

"We could very well _lose _Kira_ and _#3 if we remove them now, Ulen, you've got to-

-There was no time to explain to Gilbert that someone had dumped acid over the fluid management controls, meaning everything had to be done by turning valves on or off by hand and somehow managing to get the solution back to pH 7 _exactly_.

The endeavor doomed from the start, Ulen only half lost his mind with dismay as he saw the vat had only just now been opened up with a gun. Holes poured from the vat, slowly widening as the pressure built.

Ulen started up another ladder, hearing the sound of scuffling at the top right above his head.

He saw something flash, and swung out away from the ladder, gripping it with only one hand. A shot trimmed his bangs almost the same instant, splattering his white coat with blood. Still quite alive if not exactly reasoning anymore, Ulen didn't hesitate to grab hold of another rung and nearly catapult himself upward with the strength of his arm and shoulder alone. He hadn't been experimenting in physical enhancements for human beings for nothing!

"This is madness!" Shouted Ulen, scrambling to the floor and rolling, dodging two more shots from behind the pump machinery, now working overtime thanks to the saboteur.

At that moment, Ulen stopped in a crouch, stunned by the realization that this saboteur wasn't happy with just those few bullet holes in the alkaline tank, but was planning to pump more water into it, and by increasing the pressure blow the entire line. If that happened, there would be no way to offset the acidic water now rushing into the incubators without severing the connection, which would result in equaling lethal results for most of the fetuse.

He glanced back just in time to see the crane lower and magnetically clamp to Kira's artificial womb, extracting the child, the baby supposedly mere weeks from birth out of his uncertain resting place and into the air, suspended in his clear-fluid filled container similar to a test-tube. The child visibly shuddered against the sudden light.

"Stop it! You'll kill him!" Ulen shouted, not that the crane operator could know a gunman was on the loose. A shot answered him. With a sickening feeling, he realized where the shot was aimed and flung himself upward, bent on blocking the bullet before it could break Kira's all too fragile capsule. The glass wasn't glass at all, but a very flimsy plastic. A fetus' bone structure relied on the movement and pressure to develop proper strength and development. It wouldn't block one of the needles Ulen frequently used to administer various solutions to maintain his son's superhuman genetic enhancements. A bullet would probably punch through Kira and keep going like he were soft butter.

The bullet however, was poorly aimed and sailed off to the far right of where it should be fired.

"Madness?" A boy's voice asked rhetorically, followed by another shot.

Ulen whipped out his syringe, the voice of a child goading his instincts not to reach for his more lethal weapon. A child? That voice did sound familiar… "Rau! Is that you?!" He asked almost dumbly, standing up. "This is your Uncle Hibiki, please stop this!"

"Now that's what Al calls irony!" The voice shouted back in a way that might have been thunderous if it were coming from a grown man, and not a seven year old boy. "It's you who needs to be asked that question, _Doctor Hibiki!"_

"Please, lives are on the line-

-I know that well! I am one of those lives," Rau slipped by a stand of pistons, visible for a moment as he ran by each one as it went on its way up or down, somehow always blocking Ulen's shot. The machinery was starting to pump faster, the water down below gushing from the now tripled in size holes an ominous gush over the roar of the pump system.

"Rau! Get back here!" Ulen screamed, rounding the corner and drawing his gun, the boy would recognize that at least as a more threatening weapon.

Al Da Flaga the clone, or rather Rau Le Creuset as of today, stood by the railing on the far end of the platform, gun raised and pointed with both hands in a dangerously export child's parody of how to hold a firearm, though the size of the gun and the recoil involved would ensure he could never shoot perfectly straight with it.

Ulen raised his own gun, "listen to me Rau, I don't want to do this, if you don't put that thing down, I _will _shoot you," Ulen warned, trying his best to sound equal parts menacing and reasonable. In truth, he'd never shoot Rau with a real gun, not while Al was probably close by. "You're unstable and upset about your 'Problem'," Ulen went on, inching closer with cautious, measured steps. "It's ok, we can work through it together. I know how Al treats you. But if you promise to stop now, I'll let you stay here and we can fix what's wrong. Al will love you again. You'll be with #2 and #3, you're brothers. Wouldn't you like that?"

"I believe you," Rau said, eyes bulging wildly as he raised the pistol up with his left hand, holding it to the side almost in what Ulen thought was supposed to be a threatening pose the child saw on some vintage western film. "And that's the problem!"

Then the boy's arm fell and leveled off straight and true. Ulen's eyes instinctively tracked the arm half-way before memory of his facility kicked in and he realized the child was pointing straight at lever controls for the warehouse cranes. The cranes holding his son suspended in the cold, frigid air.

"NO!" Ulen leapt forward.

Rau gritted his teeth, lips peeled back as he fired off several shots, the recoil throwing his arm back and knocking him off balance comically were it not for the lives at stake.

Guns in the modern cosmic era had less recoil than their counterparts from earlier times, but even so Rau was too young to handle a gun. Yet somehow he did. His aim was only slightly off despite using only one arm and the last shot managed to strike a control switch. A crane sped along the tracks, even as Ulen reached Rau and thrust out his airgun toward the kid's forhead, intent on a shot he couldn't miss with the nonlethal sedative needle waiting in the breech.

Torn between his horror at the kid's sure aim in only one left hand and the knife suddenly in the child's _right, _Ulen was taken off his guard for the two seconds Rau needed to slash at his chest.

Ulen reacted in an instant, flinging himself to the side, blood flying from the flesh wound right across the base of his throat, just shy of inflicting a complicated injury that would see him gagging at the child's feet.

"At the behest of men like Al Da Flaga, you started producing more of him into this world!" Rau shouted, little face red with rage, skin bunched up like a child pitching a fit. The look on the child was profoundly surreal in the setting, with Ulen lying on his knees, watching in terror in contrast with Rau's furious triumph as the crane slammed into the one holding Kira's artificial amniotic sac, still suspended in the air until someone got the fucking water lines severed. Unable to see from his vantage point, Ulen couldn't tell how that endeavor was going or if it was being addressed at all.

"You think people are toys and this is your cheep factory for them," Rau swept with the knife in an admittedly menacing gesture, teeth working back and forth. "I know what Al would say about you!"

"I don't want to hear it," Ulen spat, whipping up his airgun and firing, he'd learn the truth! This brat was probably working for Al or even one of the Azrael's, their immediate relatives. Of course! It all made sense now, "this whole ID thing and new name were a scam!" He shouted, grinning at the obviousness of the revelation. "You're dead!" The shot missed, but Ulen wasn't too interested in getting Rau with that nonlethal dart now. He wanted this sputtering little prototype in a vat in the Samples Room for dissection and study.

"I'll put you up in formaldehyde on my shelf!" Ulen bellowed, firing again.

Rau merely grinned and leapt backwards, ending up on the railing in a handstand, the poison needles whizzing by mere millimeters away.

In that moment, Ulen realized how Rau managed such a feet as learning to use and properly aim a firearm too big for him, or even dodge the needles, which while slow-moving might as well be as fast as real bullets given the range and Ulen's aim.

"What have I done," he found himself muttering in awe as the child—the Coordinator child— simply leapt off the railing and sailed down to the floor below, cackling like he were in a tickle-wrestling match with a playmate.

"Kira!" Ulen rasped, getting up and stumbling to the crane controls, switching off the crane still ramming against the cable to which the one holding Kira was attached, the infant inside jiggling about like ice in a glass of water, the tube bulging outward now and then as Kira struck its sides, threatening to break it and send the unborn plummeting to his death. Down below the still opened hatch to Womb 03 gaped like the mouth to a monster, the acid inside hissing and bubbling.

Rushing back down the ladders like he was a blur, Ulen didn't notice Rau or see where the little monster had landed, nor did it matter anymore. Kira had to get back into a womb or all was lost. "Wait, Kira, wait for me," He cried out over and over like a prayer. Perhaps it was.

He reached the main catwalk and skidded to a stop by a control board nailed to the rail overlooking Womb 03 and 04. "Someone disconnect 4!" He screamed.

"Already done," called Via, looking up from Lacy's unit, the fetus now being moved to one of the containers near the edge of the room where an emergency cutoff valve had finally been closed. "I told you not to connect all the artificial wombs like this for ease of inundating."

Ulen breathed a sigh of relief, slumping against the control board for support as he looked up at little Kira, "shut up, Princess. Right, get Kira down immediately."

The crane abruptly halted with Kira half-way into the incubator, all the sterile white lights in the room going blood red. A blaring siren blasted Ulen's eardrums, drowning out Via's shouts and those of others down the walkway, where a commotion had broken out near the spiral staircase leading to the Sample Room.

"Attention all personnel, Container 666 has been breached, I repeat, Container 666 has been breached, all personnel evacuate at once," Gilbert Durandel's surprisingly calm yet still visibly strained voice announced over the speakers, the siren muted slightly as he spoke, "Please evacuate with caution, unauthorized individuals believed to be Blue Cosmos terrorists have entered-

-the sound of automatic weapons fire from the far end of the room banished Gil's words from Ulen's mind. He spun to see muzzle flashes at the top of the staircase, and realized those bastards had gotten into the Sample Room and destroyed stuff they had no clue about, probably in an act of self-righteous 'cleansing'.

"It's a pandemic, Ulen!" Via shouted from below, where she was attempting to place Kira into Womb 04 by hand.

"We can't leave without him! Get a forklift!" Ulen shouted, one of the scientists already running to get one, which stood ready in a garage nearby for just such an emergency as this.

A string of bullets hit the crane, severing the cable to crash about Womb 04 below, Via screamed and fell, Kira's tube falling into the warm incubation chamber with a wet plop, the hatch falling shut thanks to a shove from the cable.

"God help us!" Ulen shouted as he saw armed men descending the stairs.

"Now that's ironic!" The boy's cry shouted with glee, waving his pistol from the pump station, grinning madly. "What's wrong? Not as super powerful as you thought, Doctor Hibiki?!" Rau shouted across.

Ulen ignored Rau and clambered down after Via, "we can't die here," he growled under his breath, whipping out his blackdroid phone and issuing in a few texted commands to Gilbert.

The catwalk above him grated and groaned as parts of it started disconnecting. Unable to leap over the gap in time, the terrorists on the other end of the walkway started firing down at Ulen and Via as they worked to untangle Kira's womb from the felled cable.

Via screamed, arching her back in a wail easily loud enough to dull the siren and weapons fire.

"VIA!" Ulen hurled himself atop his wife, twisting and convulsing to a searing pain as a bullet grazed his shoulder. He dragged Via, fighting her the whole way until they were safely behind the artificial womb, Ulen trying to ignore the pain growing along his side as well as shoulder—one bullet had apparently managed to do more than graze. It felt like his ribs were cracked, or worse.

"They won't get us, they won't get us, Via," he pleaded, trying to comfort her as she screamed again, covering her mouth to silence her so he could think. Her body tensed. The catwalk continued to shrink back into the wall, forcing the terrorists and would-be murderers to retreat to the landing about the spiral stair.

"You will be killed here! Isn't it so fitting!?" Rau called with a fiendish glee from right overhead.

"Ulen, the-the baby," Via gasped.

Ulen ignored her for the moment, slowly raising his head to meet Rau Le Crouset, who stood on the catwalk overhead, having been on the Hibiki's side before the split. He raised a finger imperiously over the control board. "Gil did a wonderful thing, giving me that 'educational tour' last I was here. This button here reconnects the bridges, right? Remember how I played a prank the whole time, connecting and disconnecting them for fun?"

Shaking his head, holding his wife down as she keened again in her labor pains, Ulen felt hope leaving him, "Please, Rau. Don't. What did we ever do to you? We gave you life!"

"You turned human beings into a commodity!" Rau shot back, twisting Al Da Flaga's own words, Ulen remembered, from when the wealthy businessman had first approached Ulen about cloning himself. Words Rau apparently learned or simply chose on his own.

"With human laws, people can be turned into a commodity and not a thing will be said about it," Al had said that day as Ulen protested for decency's sake.

Ulen crouched over his wife, determined to protect her and their baby girl to the end. He felt a agonizing fire leap from his back as Rau emptied the last round before throwing it down on top of Ulen's head, breaking the skin open and letting blood drip over Via's agonizing features.

In a show of strength, Via nearly shoved Ulen off her, now totally delirious. "KAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"Out of the way!" Gilbert Durandal shouted, shoving Rau aside and fiddling with the controls. The catwalk, having begun its advance thanks to the boy, retreated again, the enemy on the other side cursing and bellowing from the dilating chasm.

Then someone got the idea to start chunking grenades down into below if they couldn't get there in person. One had an impressive throw.

Shrapnel and steaming liquid vomited into the air in a plume of light and smoke, scouring the surrounding vats. Warning lights issued wildly as the artificial wombs destabilized, never constructed to absorb shock from high explosives.

Fluid leaked everywhere, mixing with the acrid stench of burnt flesh of at least three fetuses.

The forklift arrived, Ulen dragged his wife to the side, leaving a wet trail of amniotic fluid. At first he nearly dropped Via, his arms turning to wet noodles as he realized bullets had pierced Kira's incubator. Then he realized it was because of Via's water breaking and recollected what remained of his strength, dragging her out of the room to an elevator large enough to accommodate the forklift.

"Stay with me Via," he pleaded, setting her down and pulling his hands away from her back and sides. He gasped, heart resounding with one last thump in his chest before stopping completely. His hands ran slick with blood. "VIA!"

The forklift arrived, Gilbert not far behind. Seeing Ulen unable to move, Gilbert grabbed Via and dragged her to the rear of the elevator to make way for the lift, the artificial womb tucked safely in its pair of curved claws, forming a secure bowel shape when locked together to keep the womb unmoving and secure.

"Come on, Ulen," Gilbert shouted, rushing to the elevator controls and hitting something, not sure if it was up or down. It didn't matter, so long as it was away from here.

Shuddering, the doors slid closed. A man dashed into view, holding a machine gun to his shoulder, eyes squinting as he trained his sights on Ulen.

The driver of the forklift valiantly hurled himself from the lifter, body flying apart in bloody ribbons as it took the shots. The door slammed shut, the elevator lurched down, down toward the escape shuttle waiting below, and hopefully safety.

Durandal lay back against the wall, his legs feeling weak and feeble. He closed his eyes and tried to remember how to breath, in..out. In..out. In…out. In..out.

Another sound besides his breathing broke the near stillness, the sound of an infant girl's cry. Durandal looked up to see Ulen cradling the little baby in his arms, tears streaming down his face.

Then the incubator beeped wildly, throwing Durandal to his feet. Stricken by the suddenness of the alarm, Ulen nearly dropped his daughter, before flying across the few yards separating him from his son's womb.

"What's wrong!?" Durandal shouted in dismay, shaking his head and stepping back helplessly as he watched Ulen fighting the control board, trying to find out what was the matter. "We came so far, only now…for this," he flung up a hand and let it fall. "For nothing."

"Respirator's offline! Get the fucking elevator stopped! We need to hook it up to an outlet! NOW! Gil!" Ulen shouted, whirling on his subordinate, whole body trembling even as his own life blood puddle about his feet. The man's golden hair fell tasseled in a disheveled clump on his forehead. His amber eyes wavered, so determined and yet utterly defeated. "Help me," he pleaded.

"I can't," Durandal managed to croak, before turning away. "There's nothing we can do," he whispered only for his ears, voice cracked with emotion.

A green light on the incubator changed to red, indicating the system was no longer registering a heartbeat inside. The same mournful wail an ECG starts up when a pulse flatlines began a pained dirge moments later, only hic-upped instead of constant.

Durandal and Ulen both looked back at the machine, refusing to believe what they were hearing. Slowly, the top of the incubator opened up, and with a slight hiss of the chamber within depressurizing, the beeps went silent and the red light went off, turning into a blinking yellow, indicating the machine was ready to be used a second time; a successful delivery.

A little infant's scream rang from within the womb, joined moments later by his sister's own.

"Ulen," Durandal whispered, swaying up beside his friend and laying an unsteady hand on his uninjured shoulder, "you did it." Durandal shook his head in wonder. "We did it. He's alive."

"Alive," Ulen muttered, sinking to his knees as the adrenaline faded away to peaceful release.


	2. Phase 001 Spectors of the Future

Gundam SEEDLING

-Phase 001-

Specter of the Future

CTN-Colonial Times News, January 4th Cosmic Era 69

"The reports were confirmed today when Professor Gilbert Durandal announced the extraterrestrial fossil found at Jupiter_ will _indeed be taken from Zodiac to Aprilius One, to be studied there by what many call the world's most brilliant minds." The CTO brought up a picture of a silver-blue hourglass floating in the depths of space, really not an hourglass at all, but one of the gigantic PLANT space colonies.

"More and more opposition arises in the Atlantic Federation and affiliate PLANTS, particularly the Martius PLANTS, which have actively spoken against the bold move. Some are fearful of Coordinator interest in monopolizing on historic and technological achievements. There is currently no word from the Blue Cosmos Organization.

-WNN-World News Network, broadcasting similar news

A young woman dressed in a smart business suit, tight-fitting to her chest appeared on the screen, her shimmering blue eyes dancing with excitement. "Two hours ago, a ZAFT warship arrived at the Zodiac Colony to take Evidence 01 to the Coordinator research institutions at Aprilius One. UN officials of several nations—Atlantic Federation at the forefront protested the move, however ZAFT did not heed the entreaties and refused to reconsider their move, the scientists insisting the equipment available on Zodiac is insufficient for their purposes."

She straightened her long, flowing red hair and took on a serious expression and pose, arms clasped in front of her and head held up but not high. She smiled as if reassuringly, "there is no movement from the activist group Blue Cosmos at this time. Dr. Gilbert Durandal refused to make a proper statement as to the haste of the transition, however many suspect it is fear of some backlash by Blue Cosmos to the move should more come to light about the anticipated experiments. Many scientists in the community are eager to learn as well. We are standing by for update, however it has been implied by authorities that we will learn nothing until the upcoming UN conference later this year."

"In other news…."

Kira Yamato exhaled deeply, clicking the pause button. He sat back, folding is hands behind his head to stare up at the ceiling. The dull, unhappy white lights of the school's computer lab stared back. Of course fighting them in a staring match was a forgone conclusion and counterproductive to his vision—in theory. He didn't know why, but his vision seemed to improve the more light he stared at. Wasn't staring at a bright light too long a good way to give yourself black splotches?

"More Coordinated mess," he mumbled, sitting up again to give the appearance of an attentive student as he heard footsteps outside…about ten seconds before the doors actually swung open on their hinges, Sai Argyle strode in, carrying his laptop by his side.

"How's it coming?" Sai asked, analytical blue eyes peering around Kira's shoulder. "You were slacking," he accused after glancing over the data with an acute eye.

"Well, y-

-yeah, you were." Sai straightened up and folded his arms. "What would Mr. Holstein do if he saw you lounging around?"

"Tell me to look like I was working," Kira replied.

"I'm serious Kira."

"I was serious. He knows I get the reports translated on time, faster than on time if I wanted to push myself."

"You also have an obligation to the school, you know," Sai replied, scowling. "Those transmissions are being blocked by the Atlantic Federation because they want to pressure Orb into joining them. The only way to get WNN or the others is to decode them quickly and translate if necessary."

"Uh, Sai, I know that. That's what we've been doing for about this whole semester."

"Fact," Sai conceded. He closed his eyes for a moment then leaned down again, firmly planting a hand on the tabletop, "yet somehow, Kira, it has yet to sink into you that the group able to supply accurately decoded/translated works with footage get _paid_ for their services to Heliopolis."

"Yeah, I get that. But…" Kira started chewing his lip.

"You're the one who makes or breaks that sweet deal. So get back to work, and we can finally renovate this lab. Imagine it, having a microscope with superior phase contrast to our old antique! Not to mention funds for more mechanical parts so we can do some real engineer work on our junior mobile suit."

"I'm not much into the whole looking at squishy organisms I don't _want _to remember are there, Sai. I have to put it out of my mind all the time each visit to the water fountain."

"You know, it's a good thing you're in the science lab all the time, Kira. You're surrounded by geeks."

Kira said nothing, sure there was a mine being laid down in that sentence, and simply went back to unscrambling the videos. Surely the Atlantic Federation realized the futility of their efforts? This was child's play.

"If there were any guys here who have half a sense of decent manliness other than me—who gets your personality—you'd be called gay or weakling or something worse. And that's nothing to say what all the girls would think of you. As it stands, they don't have a clue you even exist!"

The scrambling wasn't very good either, mostly just the old cut and rotate method with some line shuffling going on here and there for what _must _have been for the sheer sake of fits and giggles to whatever clown coded this thing.

"Kira, are you listening?"

"Of course Sai."

"And I have to go and take your word for it. Sometimes I wish I could read minds, then I would know what you're really thinking."

"You wouldn't want that," Kira frowned, squinting as his eyes took every bit of data flowing in front of him at once, mind easily calculating almost instantly where it all fit in its proper place before the scrambling. It only took the work of a few moments with his long, dexterous fingers to accomplish the task. "You would _hate _to hear some of the things people think about you," he punctuated the remark with a firm click on the Enter key, saving his work. "Decryption complete. I'll leave the translations to Kuzzey. He's got a knack for languages."

"But his ability to put in the subtext is suboptimal. I'll translate, you incorporate it into the video." Sai sat down opposite Kira, taking out his own laptop, seemingly brushing off Kira's ominous warnings about mind reading. Kira unhappily sent the data over.

"Kuzzey is more accurate than you," Kira pointed out. He winced as Sai glanced over his orange spectacles at him with dire vehemence. "Sorry."

"Sorry nothing. I know you want to say more, go ahead. Say it."

"No, it's nothing. You're just not as good at translating stuff as Kuzzey is."

"Really? Is that all? Sure there's not stuff going on in your head I'd be furious about if I could hear them?"

"No. I was just mad because you were came in here jumping down my throat over-

-If I were ever to jump down your throat, I'd make sure to pull out some important organs when I climbed out," Sai retorted acidly. "Translation one: Laporan dikonfirmasi hari ini ketika Profesor Durandal….It's always the same with you, Kira. Whether it's me or a teacher one, you _always _get defensive when we try to push you to do your best. You're grades aren't even the highest in school!"

"Should they?" Kira asked weakly, typing away without looking. Basic text encoding was something he'd done for fun as a toddler, if his mother was to be believed.

Sai growled something under his breath in another language, "uh….hmm. I hate this particular dialect. Colonies are so confusing, no order amongst the Atfed's ilk, even in language. Wait—of _course _they should be highest! You're a Coordinator Kira, a superhuman by all standards. I saw what you did when they decided to test your physical ability. Five hundred push ups and two hundred pull-ups, and all after a five K sprint! You don't do anything but sit here in the lab, yet you can pull off a feet like that and stand up awkwardly like you'd been asked to raise up on your tip-toes! They won't even dare put you on a basketball court with the way you can jump."

"Next line please."

"hari ini mengumumkan fosil extraterrestrial ditemukan di Jupiter memang akan diambil dari Zodiac ke Aprilius One, yang akan belajar di sana dengan apa yang banyak menyebut pikiran paling cemerlang di dunia. "

"What's your point about the workout Sai? Anyone in school looks more athletic than me. What's the use of showing off?"

"If you wanted you could do all the sports as pastime exercises, the school would have to send you out to play by yourself to keep it fair. Semakin banyak oposisi muncul di Federasi Atlantik dan TANAMAN afiliasi, khususnya TANAMAN Martius, yang diucapkan secara aktif terhadap langkah berani. I think. This is getting confusing with the speed they babble it out and all. My point also is your so skilled everyone would want to learn form you—you're very, very um, coordinated—using the literal use of the word of course. Beberapa takut kepentingan Koordinator memonopoli pada prestasi sejarah dan teknologi."

"Yeah, well there's no 'I' in 'team'."

"Well there is a 'me' in teem however irrelevant that is to my point. And your academic skills are as yet untested—they're too scared too. You can work data faster than a supercomputer without thinking and your hands are a blur. What could you accomplish with the violin, or piano? With your computing skills the math teacher would need only to give you the basic steps for a calculation and that would be the end of the calculus and trigo courses for you. You'd be on to discovering new methods of calculation by the end of the semester! You could surpass Einstein, Newton, or Hawking!"

"And be shot to my early grave by Blue Cosmos for being a second George Glenn," Kira returned somewhat dryly. Actually, it was a deadly serious problem. So long as he didn't cause trouble, a Blue Cosmos "activist" wouldn't want to blow his brains out. Doing what Sai expected of him simply because he could would be about as bad as strapping a giant neon sign to himself with the worlds "Coordinator" flashing hot pink and red, with an accompanying marching orchestra, if he managed to break a barrier into the understanding of quantum mechanics or something equally earth shattering.

"Hmm. I don't have an answer on that one. Sorry Kira," Sai said, sounding truly contrite. He often forgot that Kira was technically in danger wherever he went, even on the neutral colony of Heliopolis, Blue Cosmos might still come after him if they knew he was a genetically modified human. Such things happened all the time elsewhere in other parts of the world and its colonies.

"It's okay. I know you're only trying to bring out the best in me. I appreciate having a friend like that, Sai. But It's not me, I don't _want _to be a superman Coordinator who can run around the Earth without stopping."

"Considering the world is 70% water I don't think that…yeah, I didn't get it did I?"

"No. And you're a geek too for analyzing a joke. And you call _me _a nerd. You're as dorky as me."

"I am not! I'm getting engaged!"

"Don't remind me. You're too young anyway."

"A certain part of my anatomy and its capabilities speak otherwise."

"Yeah well laws in Orb say different."

"Laws like that are there because someone with more prudishness in their heads than sense didn't go through puberty until _after _they made the law. Every fifteen year old in this school's just as sexually active as anyone three years older than them, if not more so. Saying we're below the age limit for marriage or sex in general on the basis of youth is kinda strange. Couldn't they come up with a better reason?"

"Anything I come up with to defend that particular law will only make you mad and assume I'm all for it and others like it. So why bother? Your parents are both wealthy aristocrats, those kinds of people got married minutes after getting birthed, so you're a special case where the age level is practically as soon as the gender is found out."

"Not all aristocrats are like that, or were."

Kira smirked at that, "Remind me again, but isn't the princess already engaged too?"

"Well you certainly don't have any amorous feelings for anyone or visa versa, so don't rain on my parade. And Princess Cagalli doesn't seem to want be in that particular relationship with the Seiran guy. Last time in public he was expected to kiss her hand politely at the UN Assembly and got smacked right in the face. "

"Small wonder, that."

"Yeah, the princess and her family aren't tolerant of Jona's intolerant views on..oh, well-

-intolerant views on my kind."

"Yes. Correct," Sai said, blushing slightly after having brought that sore note up again. Talking about Kira using his abilities was one thing, it went into totally different territory to discuss the people who hated him for those talents. "Regardless of Cagalli and Jona," he said quickly to change the subject, "that doesn't mean _I'm_….uh, my point was that…" Sai trailed off, face looking red hot enough to fry eggs as he realized he'd let that cat out of the bag quite of his own accord.

Kira started to laugh, coughed instead. "You uh, may not want that to get out. If Minister Allster knew you're getting to know Flay a lot more than is expected you're finished."

"Back to translations," Sai announced with a definite firmness that made Kira's eyes roll.

_Sai has got the translating ability of an online search engine, _Kira thought dourly. He hoped he could get Kuzzey to correct all the entries. Otherwise some people who spoke this particularly dialect were going to be very, very confused, unhappy or possibly offended.

"There seems to be more and more discrepancies between the Atlantic Federation version of events and the colonies in general," Sai commented after a few minutes.

"This issue is getting into everything recently, even in our personal lives. I don't think we can deny any longer that this issue is one that _will _be addressed soon, regardless if it shouldn't, can't, or needs to be. It's happening."

"Do you think things will come to a head soon?" Sai inquired.

"I can't say," Kira replied. "It will be on Blue Cosmos' part though. I know it."

"Are you so sure? It does sound fishy that the Coordinators want to move the Space Whale to Aprilius."

"It's a research colony Sai. The PLANTS aren't Coordinator Central."

"Are you sure, Kira? Isn't that where Athrun went?"

Kira remained silent on that one for a few seconds. "Yeah," he said at last, slowly and a trifle bitterly.

"Kira, the PLANTS are practically the congregation point for Coordinators now. The Segregation Act back in 57 was the start of this and now it's beginning to look like the Coordinators want the cream of the crop in space: the PLANT type colonies."

"It's still because of Blue Cosmos. And that doesn't change that they'll be the first to move."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"Because they believe the problem _can _be solved," a woman's voice said from the other end of the table.

Both boys nearly sprang from their seats in surprise, no one had come through the door, Kira was sure. He'd have heard it.

"Professor Macintosh!"

"Simmer down," she spread her hands outward, "I'm not going to pounce on you or anything. Though you better consider that a bad thing," she said pointedly.

"N-no, we wouldn't dream of thinking about you that way," Sai stuttered, glancing around without meeting the pretty teacher's face. "So how long were you here, Prof. Macintosh?"

"Long enough," she replied with an almost embarrassed voice. "Please try to keep sensitive matters to yourselves," she messed with some of her shoulder-length brown hair, blue violet eyes always wondering back to Kira with an odd look that seemed like interest but not of the usual romantic kind.

Kira admitted to Sai he found it disturbing, while Sai thought the glances were a lot like what someone might do around a precious and very breakable valuable, as if he would disappear into thin air or injure himself if she wasn't watching his every move for danger. Kira just called ogling, something he found profoundly disturbing, since there wasn't much on him he considered ogle-worthy, save maybe his Coordinated deep violet eyes, his only real sign of genetic tempering, or tampering rather.

"We won't discuss politics like that again, we're sorry if we offended you," Sai said, well aware of how embarrassing and frustrating the topic of Coordinators to be.

"It was the other subject I was referring to. The Coordinator thing won't go away or stay covered. It is a subject that's coming to a head. For the exact reasons I stated. Blue Cosmos knows perfectly well what it thinks needs to be done, and they will do everything in their power to get away with it no matter the cost!" She blushed slightly and coughed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get riled up."

"It's fine, "Sai said quickly, blushing redder by the second about the connotation of "other subject' implied. "_Please don't. _I haven't done anything too serious yet," Sai fretted, fiddling with his hands. "I mean, we have no real choice with whom we're going to end up with, it's practically just us two!"

"Sex is sex, betroved or not, and a topic you should tread with care. So…look next time you're in here. I might be in the back straightening out the servers. Besides, I think you should wait if you want my opinion. You never know if that person might end up being the wrong one, who wants intimacy with someone they might end up hating? Besides, sex for pleasure is great and all, but it grows stale too fast and leaves you with problems more often than not. Take it from me."

"Well, it's a lot different for them, they're aristocrats and all. They might as well be the last man and woman in the world. They can't get out of those kinds of marriages," Kira said, trying to defend his friend. Karin was usually a very quiet, unassuming woman, until she got into the topic of Coordinators, sex, or anything that revolved around those issues for that matter.

"Don't lecture me on aristocracy, Kira," she said, locking her gaze on him with an almost amused delight in her eyes.

"Sorry," he said, hanging his head.

"You're forgiven. Now go get Kuzzey, you can't translate as well, Sai."

"Told you," Kira grinned.

"Cut it out," Sai hissed, grabbing a book to throw.

September 26th CE 69

Hurrying along the outer walkway connecting the dorms to the classroom where Kira was about to endure another grueling two hours of—he shuddered at the very thought—history, the wind generated by Heiopolis's weather control system nearly knocked some books of his out of his hand.

"Don't they bother to check wind speed around here?" He asked aloud in frustration, grabbing some of his spilled notes that _did _manage to get hurled to the wet ground. A second gust snagged a paper he was writing on computer programming just as it was inches from his grasp. Another hand rescued it and proffered it, the wind rippling the paper's edges.

"Thanks," Kira said, looking up from the white gloved hand and the dark grey trench coat sleeve flapping about it, and the tall man attached to it.

"You are most welcome," the man said over the mild gale, pleasant face pulled into the squint against the wind. "It's fairly blustery out here today," the man said conversationally, dipping a ball cap respectfully.

"I hate how they do this without giving warning!" Kira complained, taking his paper, frowning at it unhappily when he noticed it sustained bit of mud damage from the wet ground. "Like yesterday's rain," he groaned. He'd have to rewrite this, and in the middle of history too if he wanted to present the whole thing for his software development class in time. _It's always like this. Something always goes wrong with that class._

"Bad luck, eh?"

"Huh?" Kira frowned at the man, who merely smiled knowingly with a polite wave before putting his hands in his pockets and starting off for the faculty offices.

"Take care of your work. It's good," the man called back, coat billowing about his legs like a dark flag.

Kira stared after the man curiously for a long moment with a strange sensation, feeling lightheaded. "Whew," he breathed, _I was holding my breath?_

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Turn your books to page 745," the dire voice of Doctor Farzana intoned from the front of the classroom, holding up the ten pound tomb of modern history. This book literally was the entire history of the Cosmic Era, all 68 years of it. How so much could be spent on the damn timeline was beyond Kira and most of the other kids in the room, especially since this was a technical college with technical-minded people wanting to learn other things besides dates and names of people no longer immediately relevant to the world at large.

Somehow this translated in the minds of the board of the collage to mean that the kids didn't need to know anything about history except the parts of recent times involving scientific advance. Recent history that mostly involved gritty, unpleasant details like altering the DNA structure of a fertilized egg the moment after penetration by sperm to create a Coordinated Human, or Coordinator as they were usually called; and the Blue Cosmos terror group responsible for a good portion of the hatred directed at Coordinators and the hate in general.

Kira didn't find any of these topics particularly enticing and some of them were downright embarrassing to have read in a classroom full of kids who knew what he was.

"Mr. Koenig, please start us off, first paragraph."

"That paragraph's longer than an essay!" Hissed Tolle Koenig, sitting beside Kira.

"I know," Kira had to admit, shrinking in his seat when he spied the title. "I hate this part." He had been forced to read this section of the book more than once in his life, and was about ready to throw up over it. He hated the thought of what Ulen Hibiki had done at the GARM research institute. Why did he have to suffer through this again?

"MR. KOENIG," Farzana commanded, like a judge giving a command from on high, or more like a prison warden rather, or an executioner.

"Sorry Kira, you know I don't like reading about Mendel either. That crazy woman is a sadist for sure."

"Just stand up and get this over with," Kira hissed quickly, before meekly piping down behind his textbook tomb. Farzana passed her bespeckled eyes over his desk on the way from shooting Tolle a fierce gaze.

"Ahem, On CE Fifty-Five, the Mendel Colony suffered an accident that would change the political landscape in one stroke It was not inconceivable that this was the most potentially climactic event for Blue Cosmos and all involved within the Coordinator conflict The biological waste hazard that went up during the time released also may have spilled over to other colonies had action not been-

-Too..fast…Mr. Koenig," The professor admonished with slow, ponderous words.

"Mendel Colony again," Flay Allster grumbled unhappily, flopping her magenta hair across her neck, letting it splay down her left shoulder as she leaned her head on one elbow. "Sai, can't you, you know, ask her to not do this again?"

"Ask her?" Sai questioned . He quirked one eyebrow at her, not that she could see, given that she was in front of him, with Kuzzey Bushkirk in between the two, looking very uncomfortable.

"You know what I mean. Sai, this is the fifteenth time in three weeks!"

"We have a test about this tomorrow, let me listen," Kuzzey pleaded. "She's gonna hear us again."

"Let her, that old prune doesn't scare me."

"Her wrinkles do," Sai said.

"Shshsss," Kira hissed.

Both Flay and Sai quieted as Farzana's wicked gaze pierced them into silence as if she had shot them.

"The resulting contamination of the colony led to little or even no evaluation of the preceding events by authorities. It is determined however that the perpetrator of the crimes committed and storing of the S type strain of Influenza-

-Stop," ordered Farzana. "Page 245," commanded Farzana. This got questioning groans from the students. Farzana peered down her noses at them with suspicion, "You all need to refreshen your memory, don't you? Or were you perhaps born during the S type breakout on Earth?"

No one said anything and turned the pages dutifully.

"Ms. Allster, please read."

Flay gasped, her voice high-pitched as she bolted ramrod straight up in her chair, but she didn't dare rise.

"Ms. Allster?"

She opened her mouth, but her tongue caught in her throat as a cat or _something _grabbed at the back of her throat and pulled the words down. Or was it memories? Memories of hearing Mama's name, having to go into that room that stank of medicine and air cleansers. Wanting to hug Mama, and knowing that she couldn't and even didn't want to no matter how hard her heart begged her. But those dark circles, that lined and grimacing face stopped her.

"Ms. Allster, if you believe you can skip out on reading during my class you are sadly mistaken."

"Please?" Flay asked. The smell of sweaty sheets that never could stay clean.

"Ms. Farzana, you realize Flay's mother-

-I am aware of her _special _place in the history books, Mr. Argyle. Now sit down until you are called to read or give a report, thank you. Ms. Allster I recognize you dislike reading about the S type Flue because of the last name that pops up on the list of victims but it is essential that you and everyone else not suffer in their education from it. Am I clear, Ms. Allster?"

The dimming look in Mama's eyes when Flay realized her own mother no longer thought lucidly through the haze of the fever enough to recognize her.

She stood, feeling a growing heat in the center of her chest, like a fire fanned by each word she spoke. "I-in CE 27 a mass outbreak of the type S Influenza virus caused widespread panic and death. The pandemic at its peak in CE 36 three years before the pandemic's complete containment at the hands of George Glenn and the esteemed Doctor Malchio. This was not the end of the virus, the last recorded outbreak, post-Mendel Colony in CE 55-where members of the GARM Research Institute had contained strains of the S2 Influenza-was CE 59, where a notable five thousand people on Earth perished in the South Pacific when an abandoned fishing vessel arrived on shore, its deceased occupants carrying an active strain of S2 to shore in the dried mucus sprayed on the ship. The outbreak was swiftly dealt with thanks to the fortunate arrival of Doctor Malchio, who was living in the region at the time while attending seminary there. Despite his valiant efforts that rendered him blind from infection, a number of important persons died during the epidemic, notably the last victim, Fran Allster, wife of the future Vice Foreign..Minister George Allster," Flay's voice broke on that last bit, and with effort she finished the remaining portion of the paragraph and sat down again, slamming the book.

"That will cost you detention," Farzana said with a dangerous glimmer in her eyes, "as well as a report on your own experiences with dealing with the disease and coping, due tomorrow."

Crying out in rage, Flay rose up and stormed out of the room, spewing curses.

"Detention for the next two months, this behavior will not be tolerated," Farzana called after Flay.

"That's sick, just sick," Tolle muttered, leaning over to Kira.

"So was your pun, dude."

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Ms. Macintosh, there is a man who would like to see you," the secretary said, opening the door to the office. "He says it is urgent."

"Send him," Karin responded absently, staring down some bills on the computer screen and willing them away to some distant corner of cyberspace with imagination alone. Sure they'd be there after this brief interruption, but that was then and not now. _Anything for someone in need, _was a motto she wished she followed more often. But she despised being the center of attention and so usually ended up giving away money, hence the bills with no dollar bills.

The man hung a dark trenchcoat on the rack behind the door, opting to keep the white ball cap. Karin frowned as she looked up, confused why she suddenly felt clammy fingers. Did she know this man? His bearing, the way he moved to straighten out wrinkles on his impeccable white business suit.

The golden locks said it all to her in one look. He turned around, revealing the face she expected to see. "Can I help you?" She asked haltingly.

"A great deal, Ms. Macintosh, I am desperate to find someone very important to me."

"Who are you exactly, Sir? You remind me of someone who did business with me a few years back, but that just isn't possible."

"Coy behavior will not work on me, Karin. Karin, such a nice pseudonym. Far more creative than my alias. Now, will you cooperate or shall I commence with the enigmatic one-liners?"

"I…don't know."

"But you do, _Karin. _And if you want certain young people's lives to remain as they are, you will cooperate with me. None of this has to be difficult, if perhaps not easy for you. I am secure. No one has a clue we're here except the secretary outside. As an informant, you regularly send people off who need help, right? I don't even require a false name or passport, just directions," he pulled the cap up so she could see into his startling blue eyes.

"You talk like Al."

The man chuckled, "Well, it's no surprise that I do. Fate deprived me of the hoped-for individuality most humans enjoy. I find it so much harder to express myself because of it. If you know how Al Da Flaga would talk, then likewise I need not extrapolate on how dirty I can get with the bullish and the reluctant. You kept in contact with Doctor Hibiki after the Mendel disaster, despite selling out the artificial womb project under his very nose. After ruining the Hibiki's work without remorse, have you anything to lose now by telling one sick young man where he can find the only doctor able to save him?"

"No," Karin admitted, hugging herself as she listened. "I know it's not wrong, however I know _you _are sick in ways Ulen Hibiki cannot help."

The man chuckled lightheartedly, the laughter living on in his eyes after it died in his throat. "Isn't that a good reason to get me out of your hair? I have only been here a few minutes, but I can't help but guess you feel uncomfortable."

"You're insane, Rau. How do I know you won't kill me and everyone on this colony after you get what you want?"

"Shall I be so coy as to swear I won't? How about I bring in the portable electric chair and iron maiden I carry in the trunk of my car with all the other sundry instruments of doom?"

"If you had those you would already be using them, I won't tell you anything, not after what I saw you do and what Blue Cosmos is still doing."

"There is going to be a war, and it is going to be terrible. If I don't get what I want before it starts later this evening, well—vague threats will be the least of your worries."

"War?" She felt her heart skip a beat. "Wait—today's the UN conference in Copernicus. You don't think Uzumi Nara Athha will," she trailed off and bit her lip at Rau's hideous grin, feeling like a trapped rabbit in the back of its burrow, staring at a hungry fox flashing his teeth.

"That old champion of justice is useless now. That prayer prattler Malchio could do no better and he knows it, that's why he's still tending to dirty diapers in an orphanage."

"Malchio hasn't attended!?"

"It would seem so. According to Malchio, the religious order in this world lost its place after Evidence 01 broke the faith of so many. He seems to believe it is all part of God's plan. I think it merely takes a poor blind cripple extra long to change a toddler than people might first assume."

"What are you getting at you freak," Karin demanded, standing up and shoving her chair back as she did, "Get out if you don't have anything else to say to me."

"I can change the peace talks. I can stop what is about to happen if I get there in time. Heliopolis isn't far from the Moon, I can make it well before my men are given the command to switch the tracks. The choochoo train of Mankind will keep going straight and true if I _don't _retract my orders. It's up to you and no other," he laughed. Both of them knew Rau Le Creuset would do no such thing.

She stared down at her desk, at all the bills, ungraded paper work, and other paraphernalia she struggled with every day. It wasn't hard, nowhere close to what she dealt with back at GARM. Medical documents made a whole semester of school paper work infinitely easy. She enjoyed it for that easiness. She enjoyed listening to the kids talk about their young lives, so bright with a future that deserved to be better than it was going to be. Young lovers still learning to grasp at their desires, the insecure who couldn't figure out what their talents were meant for, like Kira.

She smiled a moment. She wanted all of them to have a happy ending. Some of them had tragic pasts that were already making a poor promise to their futures.

"Those kids Rau, _do not_ deserve having you warp their worlds into a living hell for your own lack of one."

Rau merely let his animalistic grin widen.

"I hate you and I hope Ulen dissects you alive. I'll give you the directions, it's on the Moon, lucky you."

"Lucky me. You don't seem to mince words very well anymore. What happened to your professionalism? I daresay you would do terrible as a secretary at this school. Yet you're a teacher, how _do _you manage?"

"Why should you care?"

"I must confess it seems hardly just for you to disrespect the man who holds peace and war in his palm, as I do. If you want the outcome you see best ought you be a little more tactful with your constructive criticisms?"

"I wasn't trying to be constructive."

"Now, now. You're a teacher. That's hardly the right attitude to go about instructing, Karin."

Rau stood and took the proffered directions scribbled on it. "It was a pleasure doing business with you," he started for the door, grabbing his coat.

"I know you won't stop whatever it is you plan to do," Karin said, standing helpless as she watched him go. "Knowing your plans, there's a contingency for your sudden disappearance. Shooting you wouldn't accomplish anything either. I never did believe in guns."

"Then you never should have gotten involved with the Pure and Blue," Rau said, mocking the motto of the radical Blue Cosmos. "Take good care, _Karin,_" he shut the door with an airy wave.

* * *

SEED

* * *

CTN, September 26th

"This just in, breaking news that may just break the world; the UN conference being held at Copernicus has just been bombed by ZAFT terrorists. No more news has reached our ears and cover reporter Pavel Zolnerowich has not reported in and we are concerned here at the studio for his safety as are we all for our respected leaders. We know the blast used _may_ have been nuclear in nature, as we are receiving numerous indications of interference in Copernicus City. City outskirts are with backup generator power, and have informed us of a near total blackout. Again, reports are sketchy and we are still having immense difficulty patching through."

"This _just in_, The current leader of the ZAFT organization, Patrick Zala, was reported to have been in the blast as well, however a statement released by Aprilius 1's committee chairwoman Eileen Canavar admits that the attack was indeed premeditated by ZAFT. She insinuates that the chairman of ZAFT's 'defense committee' will safely return to Aprilius unharmed."

"With the UN government out of action a coalition of concerned citizens led by Muruta Azrael of the famous weapon's conglomerate of the same name has practically stormed Washington some say, all of them crying for a united front against the Coordinator threat. Tensions are mounting and many hold their breath to see who will emerge from that debris cloud. We take you to our next closest corresponded, Barby Walker."

"Thank yu Bokejaw, as you can see bewhind me, tha coud has envewopped the city. Aur camarwus cannot pierce this dense fog. Wait! I can see somefing, it's-it's a Giant! A giant has eccitted tha coud. It's huge! It is aiming our way. We will contact you again when we haf moved to a safa loca"-

-the transmission ended as the GINN roared up from the choking dustcloud enveloping Copernicus. It raised a gigantic rifle up toward the camera. The muzzle flashed only once.


	3. Phase 002 Betrayer's Warehouse

**Author's Note:** Wow, so for the holidays my gift to myself was to spend time writing fanfiction. Good news for those of you picking up on the story. I wonder what readers will think of this foray into the SEED universe? There are surprises in store, so instead of babbling like some egomaniacal villain, I shall cease this monologue and leave you to my creation so it may have its way with you. Mnwhuaahahhahahahahaha.

* * *

Gundam SEEDLING

-Phase 002-

Betrayer's Warehouse

February 4th, CE 70, Heliopolis 

"I tell you another one of those tests and I'm going to contract S Type from sheer topic overexposure," Tolle Koenig groused, flopping into the large sofa chair in his dorm's living quarters. "That's the fifth one this year counting last semester."

One of the benefits to being an orphan was that the school put Kira up in one of the senior apartments, a penthouse resting neatly above the faculty building. He'd been given the run of the place so long as he kept it tidy. Most of the seniors who roomed here graduated and none had been put up as replacements for some unknown reason. That left Kira and Tolle, who were best friends of sorts ever since Kira's childhood buddy Athrun moved to Aprilius with his parents.

"Or was it Junius?"

"Huh?" Tolle glanced from the chair at Kira standing by the sliding glass doors, which gave quite a nice view of the campus.

"Nothing, I was thinking about where Athrun moved to. Wasn't his mother who worked at Junius?"

"Didn't know him well. I went to a crap public school before getting my grades up. You were such a big help with that now that I recall."

"It just seems strange that Athrun would live on Aprilius while his Mom's on Junius 7 doing whatever it is Agriculturalists do. I mean wasn't Athrun going to be a horticulturalist, or at the least a robotics engineer? Why go to a colony that almost exclusively caters to space-life sciences? That's not his forte at all."

"Don'know," Tolle shrugged, eyes drooping, "But I do know that after he left you were a really common figure in our house, especially during math exams…"

"I'm not going to do your homework for you, Tolle."

"I knew you'd say that," Tolle slumped further. "Some friend you are, Bro."

Kira raised an eyebrow, "you live here don't you? Or would you prefer to share a cubical the size of our bathtub with someone else?"

"Ah, I'd find a place."

"Where?"

Tolle smiled smugly, "Mir said she'd be happy to have me live with her anytime you grow tired of me."

"Go ahead then, I'd love to see you do that."

"_Really?"_ Tolle sat up and propped an elbow on the chair's arm, scowling suspiciously.

"I've got a bet going with Sai on how long it'll be before I find you groveling at my door with Mir demanding I take you back or else. It's running at a hundred and seventy five right now. I could stand getting handed a pile of cash that big."

"You've been placing bets on me and Mir!? Kira that's not cool at all."

"You know what else isn't? My archaic computer. That thing runs hot all the time and it's because the fan is broken. The hard drive is running on life support thanks to Sai's technical skills, oh, and there's a crack running down one of the screens."

"Ooooh_ I_ remember that cut. Drunk Kuzzeyuala, right?"

Kira shut his eyes, trying to will away the image of a drunk Kuzzey waddling about like a kuala bear. It had been Flay's idea to play charades, mostly so she could sit by and laugh at everyone doing something stupid, such as when Kira randomly decided to mime a stork. Flay took pictures of everyone, and from then on used them as blackmail regularly to get what she wanted. "Never again."

"Come on that party was great! We didn't even leave much of a permanent mess either!"

"We only had to pull janitor work for six months to pay for our own apartment damages!" Kira returned through gritted teeth. "And my computer _did _get left in a mess."

"Well I say it was fun. You babbling in computer code was enough to earn me a yourstube following for life! It's still a hit, and you're a star."

"Great, I've joined the ranks of God only knows what in the hall of internet video fame. I'm serious, no more parties. Go to Mir's if you want to get drunk again."

"Can't. You know how wild Mir and me were at the party?"

Kira immediately turned his attention to the files downloading into his computer from a disk, feeling his mouth going dry at the mere thought of what was going on behind the charade game, on his kitchen countertop no less.

" Yeah, well we'd be worse all alone in a tiny dorm room the size of the bathtub," Tolle's eyes started sparkling, "Hey, that's not a bad idea Kira. I think I'll ask her if she approves." Quest for a solution to his math qualms forgotten, Tolle stood up merrily and pranced to the door, rearing back as it swung open of its own accord the young woman in question stepping through with a rap on the doorpost.

"Tolle? Did I hit you?" She asked, cocking her head at his slightly reddened face.

"Almost," he breathed a sigh and stepped in to capture her lips in his. "How are you?"

"Better, but what are you hands doing?"

"Uh, nothing?"

"Fix that, please," she grinned, wrapped her arms about his neck and giggling as he picked her up and spun her around. She landed and straightened her hair auburn hair, while Tolle patted out some of the wrinkles in her ochre miniskirt.

"Isn't there something vaguely inappropriate about this scene?" Demanded Kira, still stanchly glued to his computer.

"Dork," Tolle whispered by Miriallia's ear.

"Oh, right!" Mir said, shutting the door with a shake of her head, "can't make out for all to see. Tolle we should always shut the door before making out."

"Are you sure? I don't mind people knowing you're already hooked, it would stop all the guys lining up to ask you out. It's hard protecting you from those scoundrels."

Mir blushed, he was so considerate of her. They both knew that she didn't get that many offers, not since Flay Allster filled out over the last two years (or got a goodly portion of her family inheritance, whichever appealed more). But it was the thought that counted, and Tolle honestly did seem convinced she had stalkers and rogues watching behind every potted plant in the cafeteria or hallways. "It is really reassuring to know you're looking out for me, Tolle. I wouldn't want one of those shameless scoundrels roughing me up or anything."

"One of them is hugging you right now," Kira called from beyond that wall of red roses that always seemed to pop up whenever she and Tolle were alone.

"Yeah, Kira is a really horny dork, strange as that sounds. Must be the Coordinator side of him—I've got it, stay close Miri, you never know when he might try to grab for some ass when you're not looking," he placed his hand against her firm rear and pulled her close, "there, you're safe now."

Mir kissed him in reply, pulling his head down, "Oh, Tolle. I want to come here for our honeymoon."

"We're already here, my Love," Tolle replied, sparkling dust dancing about his face like magic, despite the impossibility of that happening. It was beautiful.

"Umm, would you both please move aside," Kira asked.

Tolle just finished subduing Miri's tongue in preparation for a new technique when Kira made his unwanted interruption. He looked up, those rose bushes were there a second ago he could swear by it, strange. He and Mir parted reluctantly. He gestured toward the door, "after you."

"Thank you," Kira moved passed and took hold of Tolle's hand, dragging him out with him, "come on, we have work to do in the lab today on that mobile frame. Mir, I need you to run the computers, no one else is as fast as me but you."

"Wait, do I get to pilot?" Tolle asked excitedly.

"Yes, you can pilot," Kira grumbled, already picturing the horrific disaster about to visit the lab. "I'll be at the computers, some footage just got intercepted—I've got orders from Professor Collens to decode it this evening. He's…more demanding than Holstein was, so you guys will have to work out the details of the OS synching by yourselves."

"Just comes with him being a Coordinator like you, Kira. Someone from December PLANTS knows how to push you to your limits," Miriallia said, taking Tolle's other arm to squeeze. "Right Tolle?"

"Uh, yeah." He glanced between the two, "uhm, you can both stop pulling me now." Mir's grip went from pleasantly firm to very painfully tight. Kira's remained as it was, but Tolle knew better than to struggle against Kira. The guy could snap his bones in two if he wanted. "Something wrong?"

"If you do something disastrous like say—destroy the computers with my hard-written Operating System on them, I will make sure Mir _has _to find a new boyfriend and you will have to accept life as a celibate."

"You've threatened me with a lot worse than what you're implying," Tolle retorted.

"And if you almost _step _on me again," Miriallia added, vice-like grip tightening even further, "I will never give you that present I always have prepared for Valentine's Day—assuming I'm not rendered into a stain on the floor."

"It wasn't that bad last time! It was Kira's crazy system! It wasn't meant for Naturals like me."

"True, but this time Kira has done better, _right _Kira?"

"Uh-huh," Kira replied, glancing askance at Tolle, "so long as he doesn't increase the power output beyond what Sai sets it for."

"Can we get onto a better topic than my apparently _bad _test piloting skills? What's on the footage Collens wants decoded? I mean, he has to have some idea."

"Hn," Kira grunted, looking down at his feet. He tried his best not to talk about the war footage he translated. It always gave him a very sick feeling to watch. Of course, there wasn't much of a war to start with right now. Mostly the new Earth Alliance that rose up to replace the United Nations after the assassination did a lot of posturing; moving its fleets from one PLANT to another, threatening to take complete control of the giant space port station of Yggdrasil among other taunts to ZAFT. "They haven't done anything yet. If they take custody of Yggdrasil that means things are getting serious."

"The Earth relies on a lot of stuff made in the PLANT colonies. I don't know what we'd do without regular medical supplies or basic products. We make some of our own at Orb yet it would be quite a shock for Heliopolis for the short term."

"That's why war affects everyone," Tolle said, finally extricating himself from their grip. "I bet they're making mobile suits to fight against the ZAFT GINNs."

"Absurd, mobile frames like an MS are way too big to be practical outside of industrial work."

"Said by a girl. And here we are trying to program a miniature one." Tolle said with a grin.

"It's a fad, a phase, like war balloons or something ridiculous that nobody remembers or ever really used much. You'll see. By the time this war ends even, mobile suits will be a thing of the past." Mir asserted firmly. "That I am confident in."

Tolle just rolled his eyes.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Everything is all set," Sai Argyle informed Kira and the others as they filed into the testing lab for the robotic construction frame. No one was quite sure how old the antique was at this point, but it had been programmed by hopeful high school students for years, possibly decades.

A rotund man in a brown suit and olivine tie waved a bunch of papers at them in a friendly greeting. "Ho there kids. Kira, this operating system is excellent."

Kira blushed and moved over to the bank of computers, eyeing Tolle moving for the frame.

"Wait! What's he doing getting in there?" Sai demanded. Kuzzey simply moved over to Tolle and started dragging the boy away.

"He promised to be careful," Miriallia said, shooing Kuzzey and Sai away from her boyfriend.

"Thanks," he said, pecking her on the cheek before leaping to the machine's controls.

Miriallia went passed the machine to stand at a safe distance, just to be sure. She trusted Tolle with her life at all times outside of that hunk of metal. Inside it she would rather be anywhere else right now, like swim classes. Too bad she hadn't made the team and, contrary to popular belief, enjoyed hanging out with the guys here. Could she help it if she was technical minded? Besides, it meant more Tolle time, and for him, more Mir time. Tolle was always more attentive the more time they spent together, she had noticed.

"Make sure the hydraulics aren't over sensitive this time," she called, picking up a bunch of diagrams Collens had left on the saw table next to her. She paused at the schematic, noting with confusion the extreme detail put into each part. One looked like an emitter of some sort, and a measuring line indicating the released substance was to reach twelve meters or so.

"What's this," Mir asked herself.

"Plans," a girl's voice responded.

Miriallia turned to see a girl dressed in a black, comfortable-looking coat and Gatsby cap pulled down atop her golden hair. Amber eyes flickering with intelligence eyed her meaningfully, indicating her sentence had many pieces left out of it.

"Are you new here?" Mir asked, walking over to extend a hand, "I'm Miriallia, but you can call me whatever."

"Whatever?" The girl in question asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know, Mir, Miri, Miriallia," Mir clarified.

"Oh, so you met the exchange student," Collens said, stepping over with a warm smile on his pudgy face, graying goatee between two thick fingers shaped like sausages, "Good, get to know each other. Nice to see children know how to be cordial these days," he spoke with a faint Russian accent. He smiled warmly at Mir, and extended a hand.

Mir waited for him to continue or ask for something, but he merely waited patiently. Finally she looked down and remembered the notes in her hand, "Sorry! I forgot," she handed them over, "are those for a new project-

-oh, no no, not so loud dear girl," he replied in a slightly out of breath voice, "it's a hobby of mine. The kids would feel very bad if they saw this compared to that, ehm, antique over there," he gestured with one rippling shoulder, a gelatinous reaction shaking the bundles on the opposite side of his body with the motion of his arm.

"Sure," the new girl said with a very slight hint of sarcasm.

"I'm sorry Sir, I mistook it for an assignment. It _was _in the usual place and all. I was very impressed, it looks fascinating."

"Quite my mistake, maybe I'll show it to you sometime, when it's finished," Collens said. "But eh, for a later date when you technically graduate to collage-level courses perhaps. This is, is too much detail. Well look at the time!" His head rolled downward at his watch, the fat shifting like a blob of wax flash-melting and hardening again at the end of the motion, "my appointment. Take care," he smiled and nodded at Miriallia, gave the other girl a pause and a look Mir didn't quite know how to interpret.

Before she could even glance over at the girl, Prof. Collens was bustling out the lab. He stopped at the double doors, "Kira, go ahead and get on with your other work. I want that footage done by tonight at eight sharp!"

"But Sir, what about tuning the OS? It still has bugs."

"Multitask!"

The man heaved his bulk around and was out the door, throwing out a hand to stop it from shutting on a young woman entering the room. "Sorry for that, Ms. Allster. Have a good one," he called, already bouncing along the hall.

"Hey, I've got this one, Kuzzey undo the restraints," Tolle commanded, testing the robot's right arm experimentally.

"This is going to end badly," Kuzzey fairly shook, scurrying over to Mir. "Do something before he crushes us!" He hissed desperately into her ear, practically crushing her arm between his hands like she were a wet dishcloth that needed wringing out.

"Don't worry, Kuzz, he is well aware of what Kira and me will crush if he loses control."

"Well, I am not cleaning up broken glass again," Kuzzey warned, folding his arms. "Not one sliver."

"Hello, Sai," Flay called over the clank of the mobile frame as it stomped off its charging dais, Tolle's tongue sticking to one side of his mouth.

"Flay, stand back, Tolle's piloting!" Kira and Sai both shouted at once from the computers.

"Oh God!" Flay dropped her books and leapt back, cowering in fear.

With a crunch, the machine slammed two hundred pounds of leg right on top of her books, effectively squashing them—a tear ensued as the machine started sliding on the paper, tipping backwards as its leg advanced forward.

Sai rushed toward Flay, while Kira went to work frantically at the computers.

"It's off-balance!"

"No kidding!"

"I got it!" Tolle cried.

"Wait! Don't overcompensate"-Kuzzey screamed, all too late as Tolle tried to move the machine back into an upright position.

At the last second, Kira finished the editing. The robot stopped, one leg stretched out parallel to the floor, both arms spread out like a balancing acrobat or ballerina.

"Thanks Kira," Kuzzey called, moving away from the machine where he'd about jumped in to stop Tolle.

"Thank you," Flay said, coming over to the computers. "All right people, that's enough testing for today. I suggest we work on a group activity."

"Like what?" Sai asked, coming to stand beside her.

"Anything that doesn't involve _running_ from _that thing,_" she pointed at the robot as Tolle hopped down.

"Wait-me or it?"

"Both. Kira, Kira? Kuzzey, Kira, Where do you two think you're slipping off to?"

"He has to do some decoding," Sai said. "And Kuzzey's translations are better, by some people's standards."

"I see. Tolle, accost them!" Flay commanded, pointing her finger.

"I'll stay," Kuzzey said, hurrying back.

"Uh, I really do need to do this." Kira insisted, looking conflicted. He _would _like to teach them how to edit his system. That would make it so much easier for Sai, Kuzzey, and Mir to run tests on the petite mobile without him.

Back in the corner, the new kid stepped over to Miriallia, "hey, do you know if there is an industrial complex anywhere near here?"

"Why, I think there's one nearby, but it's a shelf building," she said, indicating that the warehouse was actually built into the colony wall, rather than on the inside rim of the canister.

"Ok everyone, we have a new student, so could we please all group together and do introductions before she gets too confused?" Asked Flay.

"Or weirded out," Sai added next to her with a slight smile as Tolle put Kira in a headlock when he tried to slip out the doors.

"Hey, cut it out Tolle!"

"Nope, sorry but I'm dragging you back, the Highschool drama queen commands me," he started to pull Kira back with him, grunting. "You know, you weigh an awful lot for a scarecrow." Tolle prided himself for keeping in relative good shape, both with basketball and a pretty descent workout routine, but even with all that Kira felt like a dead weight. A very heavy dead weight.

"I'm telling you I don't want him getting mad at me again," Kira whined as they reached the computers, Tolle panting from the exertion.

"Do more sit-ups or something," Flay chided, folding her arms. "I can't believe you get winded from dragging Kira."

"He's got rocks for bones! I swear he must weigh at least two hundred pounds."

"And they say I'm the only good actor in this school," Flay shook her magenta adorned head sadly. "Ok, new kid, what's your name?" She demanded, pointing over at Mir and the other girl as they walked up.

Only the new girl wasn't there.

"Who?" Kuzzey asked, looking around.

"She went out the back door there," Kira said, pointing.

"What? That's not possible Kira, the door's for maintenance, it requires a key."

"Well…," Kira shrugged helplessly, who was he to argue if they wouldn't believe?

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mir asked, "I could have stopped her."

"I was being choked," Kira replied, shrugging again.

"After her!" Sai suddenly shouted, leaping up. "The Prof.'s files have been broken into!"

"What? Let me see that," Mir pushed Sai out of the way and started typing. "Kira, have you been helping Tolle cheat on any of his-

-turned him down earlier."

"Then that girl really did do it, presumably. I can't imagine why she'd run otherwise. Do we even have a name for her?"

"Yeah, I was supposed to bring her some homework—that's what Tolle ground to pieces," Flay said, jerking a thumb at the paper shreds on the ground.

Kuzzey sifted quickly through the ruined papers and book, bringing up what looked like an ID card all the students used, only a simple paper printout instead of a formal plastic one, "Ms. Jane Bowie."

"Hey, I own one of those, my Dad taught me how to knife fight when I was a kid," Miriallia said.

"She named herself after a knife? What kind of delinquent was she?" Flay asked incredulously.

"It was a name before it was a knife," Sai corrected, "didn't you look beforehand at her card?"

"It's rude to sift through people's stuff before you meet them. She might not be worth blackmailing. Kira, go get Ms. Bowie and drag her back for answers!" Flay commanded imperiously, lifting her finger to the ceiling.

"Um, she's probably-

-you can do it. If you don't, everyone on the web will learn how good a stork imitator you are, and how you program robots to pose as ballet dancers."

Kira felt his face going downcast as he raced for the door, which turned out to be unlocked after all. "The key's still in the lock on the other side," he called, before hurrying on and taking it with him. It could probably be useful for opening some doors he came across, assuming she had another.

"That's _strange _guys," Sai commented, rubbing his chin, "she opened the door from the wrong direction."

"She came in from the outside? Why?" Asked Tolle. "There's nothing that way but some generators for the school and the water boiler and stuff. It does lead down to that old shelf dorm. Maybe she's exploring it for ghosts!"

"Shelf dorm?"

"Yeah, you know, a dormitory for the students to live, it was built underneath the campus inside the wall to save on building costs. The college went through a growth spurt and built the new ones. They abandoned the old ones. She's probably exploring it for secrets!"

"That sounds stupid," Kuzzey mumbled.

"Motion seconded," Flay added.

"Wait, she _did _ask a weird question right before she slipped out. I answered and started over, thinking she was with me. That's when she must have left," Mir said, moving over the computers. "She asked if there were any warehouses around here. At first I thought she meant the linen factory, you know because a lot of girls like to buy yarn from there for knitting. I didn't give the shelf warehouse much thought, considering its an industrial complex."

"And she left right afterword," Sai asked for clarification. "We will get the truth. If she really did hack into Prof. Collens' personal files, she needs to be confronted. Maybe she does this for a living, stealing stuff like test answers and giving them out to those willing to pay."

"But Collens helps us with our robot work here, he doesn't _give _tests, not like regular people." Tolle objected. "He never has anything for making better grades in there that he doesn't already give us."

"How would you know that?" Sai countered.

"Well…"

"Aucune importance," Flay interrupted, stomping a foot and spinning about. "Sai, text the good professor and alert him of this. Maybe he knew."

"I already have. And he wouldn't want what's been done to his files, I could tell they were looked at not by the history log but also because his files were still open, something he would always lock down every time he got on, even with just me or Kira around, people he trusts not to abuse his stuff."

"Funny you should mention it but he caught Kira once snooping when I put him up to finding"-

-"Excuse me, is this a bad time?" A girl's voice asked.

The group turned around to see a young woman in a brown dress and pink bow in her blonde hair, with cowboy style boots and a ring of lovely pearls draped about her neck. She clasped a small workbag in one hand, bulging with some tools that looked like screwdrivers. "I'm Jane Bowie. I…um, really like engineering. I was told I had some of my things here…" she said in a nervous rush.

Flay looked sidelong at the scrap paper lying on the floor, "Um, didn't hear about that," she jabbed at Tolle's ribs behind her back.. "We seem to be in a high school version of Comedy of Errors."

"Pardon?" Jane asked, cocking her head.

Sai stepped forward, "Flay means that there was a girl here moments ago impersonating you we think. She may have stolen something of Prof. Collens'."

"Oh my," the girl looked shocked. "I'm so sorry! Where is the girl now? I didn't see anyone pass me down the hall."

"No, she went out another way," Tolle gestured at the ajar door, "by the way, I accidentally shredded the homework crap with the robot, that's why it's posing like a ballerina."

Jane glanced down blankly at the scraps on the floor before turning her eyes upon the frame, "It's _beautiful! _Won't it look so cute with a pretty tutu?"

"Why thank you, it takes a certain amount of poise and ability to get a machine to pose like that," Tolle said proudly.

Mir slid up next to him and frowned, "are you flirting, dear?"

"I don't need to. For once someone appreciates the predicaments I get us in."

"I have just the thing, let's go to the quilting group down the hall and ask them to make it a dress! It can be a joint project!"

"I approve, it's about time we gave that hunk of metal some charm," Flay said with a toss of her hair, "right Sai?"

"Are you kid-I mean yes Flay."

"This is going to be a wonderful semester," Kuzzey mumbled at the back of the group, already imaging the laughs people would give when they got a look at the mecha's new dress.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"The _Brantis_ has arrived, Captain," an officer reported from his booth overlooking the docking bay. "BCPU units disembarking now. Wait-two of them are having some sort of problem, the Doctor is saying he wants them to remain aboard until they've calmed down."

"Excellent," the captain said, sighing heavily and glancing at the man with blonde hair next to him, "do you think these specials will be able to outperform you, Lieutenant Flaga?"

"I can't say." Lieutenant Mu La Flaga shrugged, letting his hands hover in the non-gravity. He paused to grab his nutrition drink that took the opportunity to escape his careless grip. "But uh you know I think they might flunk it."

"Why? Don't you trust the Top Brass' impeccable judgment?"

"It's the OS, Sir, to be honest sucking would be an improvement over what it does. Those new MS are sweet and all, but unless these BCPU men can, huh"-Mu stopped with his mouth open as the captain simply laughed. "What did I say?"

"Those 'men' are a bunch of teenage kids, Lieutenant."

"Hahah, we're screwed over bad aren't we?"

"Sure seems like it, my boy," the captain leaned back and closed his eyes. "Seems like we already were, if they had to ask an old fossil like me out of retirement just to oversee one operation that can't go wrong."

"Enjoyed it in the used car lot that much?"

The captain opened one eye, "watch it, Flaga. Oh excuse me—Great Flapping Hawk of Endymion. When you reach this age the junk yard starts sounding pretty good."

"Looking to die?" Mu asked, a touch of bitter humor coating his tone.

"I don't plan on kicking the bucket just yet. I still need to get my poor grandson on the right track. That little Atticus is taken up with the High and mighty Mr. Azrael."

Mu's mouth twitched.

* * *

SEED

* * *

It was times like these Kira thanked being a Coordinator. The dark hallways offered not a bit of light beyond lights covered with iron mesh every hundred feet or so. The girl had been only a little twice that at the start of the chase. He was sure that she didn't have the faintest idea where she was headed either. She must have run without thinking when they found out about the hacking.

He turned a corner and nearly ran into the wall, his eyesight detecting the wall just in time and jerking him away like a viper recoiling. He shook his head, eyes refocusing in the dark, details appearing where there had only been shadows before. His eyes were good, and they were getting better with every passing moment.

Was this always possible for him? How far could he go before his eyes could no longer adjust? He practically saw right now as good as if he were wearing night vision goggles. Better even, because nothing had green tint to it. He heard noises echoing, feet lighter than his tapping with each downward descent.

_Down the stairs, _he thought, coming to the railing of a long shaft leading into the colony underground, which was really its walls. "Here goes nothing," he thought aloud, bracing himself. He knew he could do this, but the fear still grabbed at him as he stared down at the drop below. The girl was pretty far down, he could see a tiny speck with dull yellow peaking out of her cap.

Gritting his teeth, Kira leapt into the abyss, right atop the railing at the landing directly below. He jumped again, feeling the cool air of the colony depths bite his bare flesh as he plunged down.

* * *

SEED

* * *

The door swung open, and a young officer with short black hair floated into the room and saluted smartly, "Ensign Natarle Badgiruel reporting for duty," she said in a crisp voice.

"At ease," the captain said, turning his chair about. "I heard you were aboard with the pilots, nice job getting here so fast, one as old as me couldn't do it even if I had a booster from one of those Mistrals attached."

"Of course Sir," Natarle agreed politely, coming to float next to his chair. She noticed Mu floating with his arms crossed in a decidedly morose posture and saluted smartly again. "Hawk of Endymion, Lieutenant Flaga of the Moebius Zero Elite Corps, it is a privilege to meet you, Sir. Lieutenant?"

"Yeah, yeah," Mu replied absently, staring off into space before looking back with a surprised look on his face, "Sorry," he shook his head. "What is your name?"

"Ensign Natarle Badgiruel," she replied, saluting. "It is an honor to meet the only survivor of the 3rd fleet Elite Mobile Armor Corps."

"Thanks," Mu said, smiling amiably as best he could. She had pretty eyes, this woman, deep purple. He'd say they were a Coordinator's if he didn't know better. They stared at him with shining conviction. As was proper when meeting him, the dashing Hawk, the ace of aces.

A chuckle sounded in his mind like a schizophrenic fit, {_"Mu, how good to see that testosterone is as high as ever even without your precious teammates. For a while I thought you'd lost your sense of self-esteem after I destroyed them all, eh?"}_ Mu cupped a hand to his ear. {_"Rau! I knew it!"}_

_{Mm-hmm, quite so, Mu.}_

"Lieutenant, the captain asked you a question," Natarle said, floating closer, "Lieutenant Flaga, are you in need of a physician?" She asked, this time with open concern.

Mu realized he'd been growling in rage at the mental contact. "Bastard," he hissed, straightening and turning to a Natarle quite taken aback by his outburst.

"Sir I know I was being presumptuous but to be so harsh-

-Not you! Captain I'm heading out in the MZ, get ready to scramble this colony's defense!"

"What's wrong? The enemy?" The captain asked in surprise.

"There is nothing out there Lieutenant," the officer at his booth called after Mu as he exited.

"Like Hell there is! That Creuset! I led them right to us!" The door shut.

"Captain, I profess I am very confused," Natarle said, blinking and staring back and forth from the doorway to the viewport, where deep space hung unbroken.

"It's not just you. I do know there are stories about the 3rd MAC floating around, particularly Mu."

"Rumors, Sir?"

The old captain shrugged and squinted out the viewport, vainly searching for whatever tipped Mu off to an enemy presence. "They say that the Hawk of Endymion has a rival, the White Knight of ZAFT. Mu is said to mutter his name sometimes. From what I've heard and assume we just witnessed, Mu can _sense _Rau Le Creuset."

"Sense, Sir? You mean like intuition?"

"A woman understands eh? Yes, they say that the 3rd has always been able to tell when an enemy is nearby, that's why they got pulled out for reconnaissance a lot. That engagement over Endymion Crater never would have happened had Mu not reported in a ZAFT carrier skulking about the abandoned base."

"But that's impossible," Natarle looked down, puzzled_._

"They say he makes the impossible possible."

* * *

SEED

* * *

Cagalli pulled her black coat about her, trying to stave off the chill. It was cold here in the colony underground, so close to the frosty void of outer space. It was here, she could practically feel it. There were cameras everywhere, and probably guards somewhere.

"_Tsk, _keeping such a thing right beneath a school, it had to be Alliance's idea." She stepped over to an important looking entranceway with a secure metal door. She went to the keypad and typed in her access code, flipping out her cellphone at the same time. _Bonnng. _She glanced back up at the stairway.

"Oooohhhh, Cagalli Girl," a voice cooed with unpleasant sweetness. "Did you see your Daddy's little skeleton in the closet?"

Another faint _bonnnng _sounded off from above, like something hitting a railing very hard.

"The closet door is locked, Gina. I'm opening it up now."

"Good, will you be coming to Ame-no-Mihashira to discuss business?"

The door clicked open, Cagalli stepped in, pressed the close button. She saw a lanky shadow drop down from the stairs and smiled faintly. Good to know that the idiot stalker was now a red pancake on the landing.

"If I don't find what I'm looking for, so help me I swear to banish you and your family to godforsaken Ame-no-Mihashira and rip the damn station to pieces with my bare hands afterword!"

"So like you, Princess. If your father were here he'd beg you to show more poise."

"Shut the hell up," Cagalli fumed, slamming a fist against the bulkhead, letting the sound echo briefly before nearly bulldozing the door in her way. The truth lay right beyond it.

She entered a dim hanger, lit only by two lights far above, casting myriad shadows about the two horned giants lying at the bottom of the warehouse. Cagalli felt her knees buckle as she leaned against the railing, staring at the closest mobile suit, eyes bulging and lips quavering from hurt so deep it felt like a knife to the heart.

"Happy now?" Gina's voice asked over the phone, sounding supremely smug. It was obvious from the sheer silence that she had seen enough. "Those two should be the Strike and Aegis. The other four were developed at separate locations in Heliopolis. The Earth Alliance is already there to pick them u"-

-Cagalli's fist smashed into the phone, hurling bits of blood-tipped glass. One piece fell like a single glittering teardrop to the hanger below.

"Father, how could you? You, y-ou-you know what they'll do if they find out. If ZAFT finds out. YOU IDIOT!" Her scream echoed back to her like a mocking demon, again, again, and again.

"Orb's neutrality, this city-this whole colony is doomed!" She felt her strength give way and she collapsed into a ball, tears streaming down her face. Her fist rose up again, bloody from the cuts and gained more each time it pounded her cell phone to unrecognizable scrap.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Natarle looked out at the hanger, where the _Brantis _transport lumbered out of the way to make room for the splendid white warship rising from a concealed hanger. It looked majestic, with two curving arms and a wing-like section underneath that reminded her of a flying wing stealth bomber.

"The _Archangel,_ what a fine ship she is. You have a good eye, Ensign. Aiming to make captain?"

"I appreciate the complement Sir. But I do not see the logic in it, esthetics count only enough to intimidate the enemy."

"Not so, a good captain can know a rusty, unreliable vessel from a reliable ship just by looking it over," he said with a smile. "It's a promise. You'll learn," he insisted, noting her skeptic glance.

"I understand Sir, I will attempt to memorize every detail," she saluted again and pushed off to float outside the room, "I have to prepare the ship's CIC. Shall I be expecting you on the bridge, Captain Djibril?"

"In a moment. See to it we're ready to launch the instant I get there. Peterson, get me Lieutenant Ramius of the Engineering division, she's in charge of getting those oversized gunpla out of the hanger."

"We-we can't Sir!"

"What do you—jamming?!"

"Interference on multiple levels! We have engagement reports just now getting through! But how did we not notice them until now?"

"Lines were severed! We have infiltrators! Check all exit hatches and external entrances through the colony wall!"

"Shall we electrify the outer corridors?"

"No, it's too late for that. We'd only hurt our own people," cursed the old man, strapping himself into his chair so his fist wouldn't beat down on the armrest and catapult him out. "Mu, you sure are what they always said about you, a real jinx. Tell him to wait in the hanger tunnel! If they get even one of those GINN in here it's over!"

"Incoming missile barrage!"

The old captain turned to see a stark white GINN High Maneuver Type with a stylized head fin the shape of a wing rush in at them with two jet-black missiles in either hand, mounted on launch rails. With a pop of light, the warheads flew from the White Knight's grasp.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Kira peered around the corner, trying to figure out where the girl had disappeared to. He saw a doorway nearby, but it had a very secure code for opening it, and he didn't have time to fiddle with its internal circuitry nor the expertise, wires and electrical engineering was Sai's thing not his.

Maybe the girl ended up heading toward the light, for there was a pale glow emanating from directly ahead, through the cracks of two giant shudder doors. Moving stealthily, Kira reached the opening and started to peer through, eyes having trouble adjusting to the sudden light radiating at them. Loud noises resounded from the opening, hinting at a much greater racket beyond.

"Got lost?"

"Aaaagh," Kira leapt back, spread-eagle against the wall, staring wide-eyed into the muzzle of what looked like a very nasty rifle. He didn't know much about guns, they were loud on his already far, far too sensitive ears. It looked like a semi-automatic though and the woman in the orange and brown engineer's jumpsuit looked very sure of her aim. Then again, anyone would be in this situation with a helpless, scared teenager backed into a corner. Except maybe Kuzzey.

"Your name and occupation," the woman commanded sharply, not so loudly that the voice could echo far.

"K-kira Yamato, highschool student at Heliopolis Technical."

"The college."

"Yes, may I go back?"

"No. Keep your hands there," she stepped forward and started patting him.

"Uh," Kira blushed as he took in her curvaceous figure, which did the suit wonderful justice. She had long brown, slightly curling hair and eyes of the same hue, which were hard and concentrated on her task.

"Sorry, just making sure," she said, finishing up, "come on, this place is far from safe."

"The girl!" Kira said, remembering.

"Whom?" The soldier turned back, head cocked to the side.

"I was chasing a girl who stole something from us," he said looking around, "she's just my age, black coat and blonde hair."

"Didn't see her but we will find her if she is anywhere close. Now move." She pointed at the doors, which started to ponderously open.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Glass shouldn't be allowed in cell phones," Cagalli muttered, nursing her wounded hand, the side of which resembled a badly skinned knee, only worse thanks to the sparkling bits of the material in question. "Last time I ever get one of those expensive as shit cells. It's all plastic disposables from now on." She sat up and looked down at the slumbering monsters of metal. "Father, I don't know what to do. You said to follow what we believed in, but how can I when you _aren't?_"

A door opened further down the hall, a figure in civilian's clothes stepping out, holding an assault rifle with the strap slung over to the opposite shoulder.

"Who's there?" Cagalli asked, voice trembling slightly. She heard a faint footfall. "I swear if it's about the fucking teacher's notes I stole, I'm going to have your Orb citizenship revoked!" She spun around, caught the butt of the rifle on the side of her head, more a graze than full contact thanks to the motion.

She rolled, instinct taking over, leg scything out. The figure moved impossibly fast, grabbing the leg and hauling her up, combat knife out in a second.

"Stop!" She hissed, sure that if anything this was a mistake of the Alliance security.

"I'm very sorry about this," the young man said, brilliant green eyes welling with remorse as he slammed his fist into her gut.

Cagalli fought the darkness welling up around her vision. The last thing she saw was the young man strip off his shirt.

The pants fell not long after, leaving only his red flight suit left. He saw she was awake and raised his rifle. Cagalli shut her eyes, worst fears realized. This boy was not an Alliance or Orb soldier keeping guard over the mobile suits, he was an elite pilot of ZAFT.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Hey what is all of this, Ms. Murrue?" Kira asked, glancing around.

The woman who identified herself as _Lieutenant _Murrue Ramius smiled unapologetically, "can't help you."

"This looks like some kind of military base," Kira tried not to let his brow fall into a scowl, but his face disobeyed him, _all of the uniforms are old UN military, Earth Alliance forces! This is some kind of secret base or what? I don't understand. The nation of Orb is not part of the EA, we aren't trying to fight the Coordinators. Blue Cosmos membership is technically illegal in Orb! _"Why are you here?" He asked, feeling the bottom drop and his spirits fell not long after.

"I can't tell you that." Murrue sighed shaking her head with that same helpless smile.

At first Kira thought she was one of those types, who smiles when they're toying with a pet. But it seemed she genuinely disliked her inability to answer his questions, as if it were going against her every nature and smiling pleasantly was all she could do to help. He kept pressing her.

"Is that a mobile suit transport?"

"MS transport? Where?"

"That giant truck that can't possibly be used for anything else except something gigantic and vaguely human."

"We have a lot of machinery that needs moving," she shoved a thumb at the giant piece of metal piping sitting in one corner of the vast hanger, people scurrying about its base where a good deal of white cloth covered something that looked like a human arm and hand. "That's what the trucks are for."

"And the restraining braces arranged perfectly for holding the wrists and ankles?" Kira asked a trifle snider than he really felt or meant.

"Trumann! Cover that transport would you," Murrue shouted to a blue-haired man. "You didn't see that, Kira."

"Okay." They kept going, passing men and women all in the same white and black Alliance uniforms or jumpsuits similar to Murrue. Most carried large crates or some other various paraphernalia and those who did not ran by so fast they nearly knocked over their overburdened peers in haste.

"Whoa"-Kira reared back as a man smacked him across the shoulder with a very, very large wrench big enough to fit around a nut the size of someone's head—his head, and continued on at a full sprint like the Hounds of Hell itself were after him. His suit looked kind of funny, in retrospect, a bulge in the back like he was wearing two jumpsuits. But it was only a brief glimpse and Kira was more interested in the throbbing pain.

"Watch it!" Murrue shouted angrily, grabbing Kira and firmly grabbing his other shoulder so he wouldn't collapse. "Are you alright?"

"Perfectly," he said, rubbing the shoulder absently. Really it did hurt, but not enough to break bone and he wasn't about to admit pain in front of a lovely woman, and a military woman at that. "It just grazed me."

"That would have cracked my shoulder given the weight of that thing and how fast the man was going," Murrue half whispered, looking into space for a second. "Come on, I need you to forget about all of this if possible, Kira. Can you do that?" She asked, staring him hard in the eye with an almost pleading there. She needed him to do this, _he _needed himself to do this even if he didn't realize.

"Uhm, I guess. You can count on me Ms. Murrue. But what about Orb's neutralit-

-No, Kira. I'm serious. You have to forget this whole thing. You want to forget."

"How can I? This is under our school! Our colony! What are you people doing here, what's happening? Are we part of the Earth Alliance now?"

"No. You might be a different case," she warned, leaning forward.

"Sorry. I don't think I'm getting something you want to tell me."

"Just….so long as the boy doesn't see the G Units," Murrue said under her breath, turning to go and gesturing for him to follow. In the din of the hanger he didn't hear her.

"Lieutenant Ramius, what should we do with the spare manipulator arm?" Paul Neumann called, standing atop one of the "cargo trucks" where a crane was lowering a very large mobile suit arm.

"Is that a MS limb?" Kira asked sweetly, staring at the arm with his violet eyes round as saucers, like a kid in a candy shop, or a dark alley, given that Kira looked _far _from pleased. More confused actually, like a kid _lost _in a dark alley.

"Come along, Yamato," Murrue said with a resigned droop of her head, a steel coming into her voice to replace the old tone she always used as a school teacher.

"Yamato?"

"Get used to hearing your Surname."

"Wait—I'm sorry Ms. Murrue I don't-

-Lieutenant Ramius, you will address me with my proper rank until you either surpass me in it or I give you permission off duty," Murrue instructed, walking right beside him and guiding him in step with her.

"What? I'm not-

-you've seen too much, Kira. I'm sorry but you can't be trusted to run off into the streets to tell people all you know. And you may have a cell phone with you. If this goes viral I won't be able to protect you in the slightest."

"Then, w-wait wait, that means I-…." Kira shut his mouth and let his head drop. "I get it."

"That's right, you've been drafted, Mr. Yamato."

"Well," Kira felt beads of sweat forming on his brow, and his underarms felt soaked to death already and the sweating had only just begun. _I'm a Coordinator, if they find out—if she's a Blue Cosmos I'm dead. _"I can't—I'm an Orb Citizen, this isn't legal!"

"Neither is the mobile suit factory you walked into, Yamato," Murrue retorted.

The earth shook and several lights flickered out, creating dark blotches on the hanger floor. Another shake and radios squawked, one in Murrue's pocket.

Kira's eyes adapted to the darkness almost instantly, ducked under a PVC pipe swung by a frantic worker, grabbed Murrue by the arm and dragged her resisting out of the mass of workers, who were quickly getting things under control, activating flashlights and reserve generators. The real panic was the collapsing roof beams or cranes, the cries of the injured rising up over distant explosions.

"Order everybody, get it together!" Murrue shouted through her radio, the loudspeakers casting her firm voice throughout. She felt like she was in a classroom for one single second, with children during a tornado in Kansas not ten years ago. Fresh out of college and a horde of frantic children facing one of nature's most fearsome hurdles.

She smiled as the soldiers regained their organization as she continued relaying commands over radio, getting the evacuation back on track in a flash. Just like when the kids held hands and walked calmly with her at their back to the center of the school even as the tornado ripped up the parking lot and her old clunker of a car.

She'd had to walk most of them home that day, well not today, she had something much better than a car, "Neumann, can you get to the _Archangel_? I need you to direct everyone there."

"Where are you going?" Neumann's indistinct voice asked over the radio, "I'm going to get the G Weapons loaded myself. Have we reestablished contact with the others?"

"1-4 have not reported in since last check. I can't be sure but the officer in charge of #6 reported being attacked by Orb Loyalists, something about Lord Sahaku-I don't know the details. A lot of our landlines are severed."

"Get going, we'll sort this out later," Murrue replied, feeling Kira tug on her arm. Something loud pierced the hanger air.

"Was that"-Neumann started to ask.

"Shooting! Go, Neumann," Murrue stuffed the radio and turned to Kira, flipping out her flashlight, "follow me. I may end up needing your help."

Kira blinked, dazed by the beam searing his retina.

"Can you help me move a mobile suit? I mean actually pilot-it isn't much worse than a car."

"I help program a miniature frame at our school," Kira stammered, holding his arms up in front of his eyes.

"Let's go."

* * *

SEED

* * *

"What was that sound?" Jane Bowie asked, looking up from where she and Flay teetered for balance on Sai and Kuzzey's shoulders, working on fixing a pretty bow onto the robot frame.

"It sounded like the whole colony got hit," Kuzzey said, shaking.

"Stop that," Jane pleaded, "sto-Oop," she collapsed on top of him with a "Ouhf!"

"Sai, dear, lower me."

"Yes, Dear," Sai obeyed quickly, falling onto his butt himself with another shake.

"Tolle says there's fire outside in the city!" Miriallia shouted, bursting into the room. "It's an attack; evacuation orders were issued!"

"The shelters," Kuzzey cried, leaping up and remembering to help Jane, who stood up on her own without his assistance, bouncing like a spring.

"Thanks, I'm fine," she said, shaking her blonde hair. "If this is a ZAFT attack, we better hope they don't use those big buster missiles."

"Not on a colony," Sai replied fast, quickly grabbing Flay and leading her toward the exit, "shelters, right now!"

They exited the hall and found everything in chaos, people running from one direction to another, so packed that there was no going that way.

"Kids!" A woman's voice shouted, the brown head of Karin Macintosh appearing from the mass of frantic students. "Follow me!" She shouted, leading them back toward the lab. "What's the door doing open?" She demanded, turning back to Sai.

"Long story, Ms. Karin," he replied, looking back to see a horde of kids headed into the room after them.

"I can't find Mir," Kuzzey hissed in Sai's ear.

"She'll be after Tolle, he's on the roof," Sai responded before chaos ensued, people pushing to get by Karin, who had locked the door again, shouting questions, threats, and complaints. Some even seemed very excited like the alarms were nothing but a parade.

"Listen everyone," Karin tried to shout, spreading her arms. She'd never been the most vocal of people, and rather quickly gave up trying to order the kids. They'd not listen anyway in this situation, they were too hyper with energy. She unlocked the door and grabbed hold of Sai and Flay's hands.

They looked at her in question, so she shrugged and shouted, "Friends of Kira's are friends of mine, now stick close this is going to get rough."

They leapt through the opening, Kuzzey and Jane following close behind, effectively breaking the dam. The mob of kids rushed after the five of them. Karin and her charges might have been trampled, indeed she was prepared for it when the lights suddenly went out completely, casting the staircase into total shadow.

She remembered the way, having been down here once or twice to check for leaks in the plumbing. She took out a keychain flashlight and started quickly down the stairs, wishing she could help the hordes of kids stumbling after her, but she simply couldn't figure out how without something loud enough to pierce their shouting. The floor rumbled, Karin bit her lip so she wouldn't scream.

Someone screamed and she heard a sickening thud. "Hurry," she breathed, leading Kira's friends down the halls, searching for the stairway that would lead deep into the colony wall and hopefully to a proper life pod shelter. The one down here meant for factory workers would be the last to fill up, which meant they had a ninety percent chance of getting everyone inside. _I hope nothing happens on the way down, _she thought. But what could happen? The floor rocked her nearly off her feet in answer.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Ms. Murrue, where are we going?" Kira demanded, trying to ignore her flashlight bobbing up and down. The light was a bit too much for him, and interfering with his night vision similarly to how an opossum is blinded by a car's headlights. He squinted. "Shouldn't we head to a shelter?"

"This is the military, we run _toward _the shooting," she replied, "and on that note, do you know how to use a gun?"

"Never held one."

"Well, now's the best time to get a crash course," she retorted, handing him her pistol. Better to let him get used to the small recoil before handing over something that could potentially jar his whole skinny body and throw off his aim. Then again, he'd not been too hurt from that wrench…. "Aim and pull the trigger Kira. You have about twelve shots in that. If it jams go hide somewhere—better yet stay hidden until I tell you to. If someone tries to shoot, don't hesitate, you hear me?"

Kira opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again, fingers fumbling about the pistol and eyes burning from the flashlight. He tripped and fell, getting up in a flash before Murrue had time to look.

"Come on," she urged, taking him by the arm, "Be careful when you take point around corners," she did just that, but Kira already knew there wasn't anyone there, he'd have heard them for sure. That said, he felt his eardrums pounding and head swimming. The noise was too much and he wasn't use to it. He'd have a migraine after firing this gun for sure. If only, "Ms. Murrue, please do something about that flashlight it's really bli-

-you'll make a soldier yet," she stuffed the light in a pocket, "about got us killed. Can you see at all?"

"A tiny bit," Kira squinted. There was something far around the corner, just enough that he could see faint shadows. "This way," he stepped around the corner carefully and Murrue followed, covering him with her rifle.

Bursting through a door, rifle raised to fire, Murrue looked around the hanger. Two of the Gundam Units, the mobile suits they'd worked so hard to build hung like monsters on giant raised operating tables, strapped with iron braces. Their grey armor reflected the hanger lights as they popped and dimmed. "Kira, I need you to get into the machine on the left, we're both going to have to work together-

-NO!" Kira slammed into her, throwing them both down and hitting the railing, bullets flying overhead with a shriek enough to deafen poor Kira's superior hearing, which was not so superior after the initial burst.

Murrue shouldered Kira off her rifle and brought it up, switching to automatic to throw up a lead curtain at whoever was in the center of the catwalk, not bothering to aim. When she stood Kira was looking blankly at a corpse slumped against the rail up ahead. Blood oozed from the cadaver, the red flight suit darkening from the wet fluid of the same color.

Kira worked his jaw but found himself unable to cry out, to vomit, to do _something. _"He wanted that to be you," Murrue said softly, already dragging him away from the body.

"He was my age," Kira croaked, looking down at the youthful face, the brown curly hair of some Coordinator. Memories of the footage from Copernicus welled up suddenly, the casualties and all that it entailed. Athrun's father had supposedly done the deed, something Kira had done his best to just ignore. Patrick had always been stern but unyielding in his morals. Now he was being damned all over the world, and he was also sending kids his own son's age into this war for him. Kira's stomach curdled.

"This guy, he-he didn't want to do…this," Kira flopped an arm up weakly. "What do I do? I don't know what to do!"

"Get into the Four-Horns, it's closer. I'll take the other one and we will walk them down this shaft, it leads to the ship that will take us out of here."

"This is all pointless! You could have put them in a space station!"

"No arguing about something like that now," Murrue returned, "now help me," she finished working at some computer terminal and came back, a catwalk lowering from the ceiling with jerking, halting uncertainty in time with the lights as they dimmed and flickered.

"Let's go," Murrue raced across the catwalk, Kira followed, then saw the glint of a pistol twinkling from the second "Gundam", a man in a red pilot's suit stepping into view. "Murrue!" He dove forward, tackling her from behind. A bullet screamed at them, Kira felt the body under him jerk and Murrue screamed.

"Murrue!" Kira shouted, moving aside so she could bring up her rifle, only to see her lie there, clutching her shoulder. Another muzzle flash, Kira reached down, grabbed Murrue with one arm, the other raising the pistol and firing in the general direction of their enemy. Another bullet whizzed in and struck his shirt, tearing clean through to the other side—"I'm so glad I'm skinny," he thought aloud, picking Murrue up, still firing wildly, his arm growing firmer with each shot, eyes focusing on every single move his foe made, he could even see the eyes now.

"Jump, Kira!" Murrue ordered, moving to the catwalk and hurling herself over, landing on top of the opening access hatch to the mobile suit with four horns. Kira followed, cried out as he caught the edge of the platform and fell back. "Yaaggh," Murrue threw out her wounded arm, grabbing Kira and jerking back, almost dislocating her socket for the effort, by God he weighed like a bodybuilder. "Oh," she limped back, hugging the wound as blood leaked out between her fingers, another trickle coming from her mouth where she'd bitten her tongue in the searing pain of saving him.

"Bastard!" Kira heard the words echo from the other machine and pushed Murrue with all his might, practically hurling her into the cockpit while he brought up his gun again, remembering he only had about two or three shots left after his initial wild firing. Bullets whizzed by him, but missed by a fraction thanks to the erratic lighting, making it harder to aim.

Kira felt the focusing vision again, his opponent's restless ring finger on the trigger of the rifle, the distant eyeball trying to line up with the laser sight, which even now was working its way along the silvery-grey armor of the Gundam to Kira's foot. The laser reached his leg, then his hip, then chest and finally rested on his forehead.

A mental bead formed in Kira's mind, moving right up to the same position on his foe, between the eyes. _The eyes,_ he thought, his vision telescoping the distance to zoom in on a young man's face with emerald green eyes and dark blue hair, facial muscles bunched in a squint.

"Athrun?" The green eyes went wide for a moment and Kira stepped back a pace, dropping the pistol in disbelief. He saw a flicker of determination in those eyes blaze to life and dove into the cockpit, a rain of bullets flying after him to no avail. The cockpit shut tight, sealing off the remaining light.


	4. Phase 003 Strike

**Author's Notes: **Merry Christmas! Ah, the sound of caramel cheesecake cooking, it is something to behold. I should note that a guest reviewer questioned Athrun's resolve to shoot at Kira in the previous chapter. Hopefully this chapter or most probably the one concluding the Heliopolis Heist arc of this story will clear that up, but suffice to say that Athrun and Kira still aren't sure of what they saw. As for Athrun, he saw Murrue kill Olor and Kira was with her. He had to make a split-second decision in uncertain lighting no less, so I would forgive him if he pulled the trigger on someone who had just emptied a pistol clip at him.

On some important notes, I intentionally changed Miguel Aiman's surname to Aimon for esthetic reasons, since it reminded me of a PLANT Coordinator name. And just as of right now, I notice how similar it is to my penname. No correlation there, I assure. In a similar vein, I neglected to put HM for High Maneuver when referring to Rau's GINN in several instances. My reasoning is that the GINN High Maneuver is a variant of the GINN, not a completely different model like the Strike is to the Strike Daggers. Please let me know in the reviews if this is confusing and warrants clarifying.

* * *

Gundam SEEEDLING

-Phase 003-

Strike

February 4th, CE 70, Heliopolis—Secret Underground Warehouse

"Kira, I need you to find the first-aid kit under the seat," Murrue Ramius ordered, breathing heavily.

"Y-yes."

"That's yes Ma'am. Whatever, this thing…moving," she gasped, tapping several buttons on the armrest. Lights came on, forming six square panels on the wall encircling the cockpit in a hexagon, all blue and showing the machine's name G.U.N.D.A.M. A blue sphere with a white crescent and smaller white sphere appearing in its place, with green flowery wings at the bottom, the standard of the newly formed Earth Alliance.

Kira watched panels flip up around the cockpit chair, making things decidedly tight and awkward, especially from his position right behind the pilot's seat. He still managed to scrunch up and bend down to extract the kit, an emergency twin to the one at the front of the seat. He handed it to Murrue, who was running the startup. "Here you go, Ms. Murrue," he said, trying not to look at the blood. He wasn't so much sickened as he was afraid he'd have to treat it, and he really didn't want to mess up a wound treatment. Damn it all this was the kind of thing he _wanted _to know how to do right!

"It's up to you kid, now…get some of those bandages and a syringe. One should be blue, that's the one to use for antiseptic."

"There's a yellow one and a green one," Kira announced.

"What? I get it, your Orb military uses a different set of colors. Blind Oceanians."

"That wasn't very-

-just get some bandages on and tighten them. I need both shots anyway—the painkiller first. Or we start up after our friend over there. If he moves first, we die. That's a ZAFT redcoat—an elite. We're already dead…unless," she glanced at the screen again.

It read: [Error: Startup process incomplete. If this message is appearing, resulting formats should be reviewed and corrected:…]

"What? Does this mean it's OS isn't even capable of basic motor skill performance?" She looked over at the silent mobile suit beside them. It had managed to move out of its braces, but was now otherwise inoperable, its eyes glowed a dim yellow, and it seemed like the machine had gone into a hibernating state.

"We have time, Kira. The shot, now—yellow, not green."

"Are you sure about this?" He asked, squinting his eyes shut as he pushed the needle in, giving thanks that it wasn't his arm taking all the punishment. "Can you pilot like this, Ms-

-see anyone else familiar with MS? No? Then stay back there and be quiet. I have to concentrate," she fiddled with the keys on an auxiliary screen, cursing and muttering as she fought the startup.

"God help us."

"If there is one," Kira replied dourly, watching the bandage turn red. That bullet needed to come out, and Kira realized it was going to be up to him. Murrue seemed to recognize this and turned to look him in the eye. "Ms. Murrue, I don't want to but I will," he said quickly, before his pathetic heart chickened out again.

"I know you would, Kira. But I can't have one arm tied up in a surgery. This has to be done," she went back to work, ignoring the pain.

[System inoperable. General Unsubdued Nuclear Drive Assault Module, preparing to load power manager. Power manager has encountered an error: please reconfigure conflicting routines 75 and 81 through path Eight.]

"Work, come on—work!" She slammed her fist down on the armrest.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Anti-air!" old Captain Matthias Djibril shouted, unbuckling himself from the command seat, "shoot those missiles down!"

An orange GINN mobile suit rose up from below the viewport and raised a quadruplet of missiles. They fired—racing behind trails of white exhaust.

"Ensign Badgiruel, you get that angel out of here," he yelled into a com directly linked to the white, red bellied warship floating serenely inside the dockyard. His seat vibrated like a massage chair. He looked out the viewport to see a plume of flames rushing to meet him like an opening to the gates of Hell.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Captain!" Natarle Badgiruel cried out, hearing a boom loud enough to deafen her through the earpiece she wore. She flung it off and stared up at the control station in time to see flames and smoke billowing out for one second before the vacuum sucked it all back out to space.

She grabbed the earpiece and sat it on her head again, speaking into the mike, "Commander La Flaga! Please respond!"

* * *

SEED

* * *

"I'm heading out right now," Mu called, his orange mobile armor, the Moebius Zero barrelrolling from its hiding place behind a large support beam. With a flash of its thrusters the space fighter dashed through the tunnel, racing for the exit even as fire and spinning shrapnel filled up the gap. A lightning bolt struck between his eyes, sending a chill like diving into ice water through his veins.

Strange as it was to see it, Mu was well acquainted with the lightning, it may be strange, but it saved his hide before and it did now so he never questioned it, "heave-ho," he slammed into the back of his seat, g-forces peeling his face back into a smile as he rocketed at full throttle, dodging a wild series of explosions as missiles went off like fireworks.

A white GINN High Maneuver Type parted the flames ahead, drawing an autocannon, single mooneye flashing brightly in challenge. Mu heard the same voice in his mind, {_"Hello again!" Funny to see you here, it seems you are destined to muddy the path I must walk}—MU LA FLAGA!"_

"Rau Le Creuset!" He shouted in return, hands moving away from the control yoke, knee doing the steering as his hands tapped at the four control pads. Four orange target circles appeared, the centers glowing as he touched them, plotting points with his fingers, numbers and data scrolling about him on four all-important auxiliary screens to help him calculate, though he rarely if ever glanced at them. He could somehow _feel _where they would go.

With a slight jerk as they pulled away from their sockets, the four gunbarrels on the Moebius Zero's sides disconnected and dashed into battle, deploying their fire-linked guns. Mu moved all fingers forward to converge on that tingling feeling that was Rau up ahead, "Come on!"

"Shall we dance, Hawk of Endymion!?" The white GINN HM dashed forward into the net of gunfire, rifle drawing a bead on Mu's cockpit. Inside, Rau Le Creuset's masked face lit up with a grin.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Yellow rays traced along the far wall and warehouse doors. The enemy Gundam's eyes finished lighting up and with a slow, heaving step of a multi-ton leg rising into the air. It began its advance on Murrue and Kira's inoperable mobile suit, the now faintly shining eyes cutting through the muggy darkness like a pair of malevolent lights of the undead.

"The Coordinator fixed his," Murrue growled, "Why won't you work for me you worthless thing!"

[Powering up. No problems encountered.]

"Thank you!" Murrue threw up one hand in rage, "now all we have to do is ready the Phase Shift armor."

"Phase Shift?" Kira asked, peering over her shoulder at the screen.

"Our opponent doesn't have his up yet—the Gundam will turn crimson when that happens."

[Phase shift inactive, conflicting command code.]

"Ms. Murrue, we can't stay here, that thing's coming," Kira warned, grabbing at the controls.

Murrue slapped his hand away, panicking just as much as him, "I'm trying to! This is pathetic, no wonder the test pilots never did any good; the computer wants to kill us," she slammed a fist into the main control screen.

[All systems operable.]

"You should have punched it earlier," Kira said with a half grin.

"Took a technician like you to figure it out," she replied with a partial grin of her own.

The earth shook, the lights in the warehouse went out. Something smashed into the Gundam, knocking it to the floor even as it finally detached from its braces and attempted to alight ungracefully upon the floor.

An explosion rattled Kira's teeth so hard he feared they would disintegrate. His whole body burst with pain and some unseen force flung him against one of the panels. He felt a crack like breaking glass and a flaring pain. It exploded with an even greater pulse as he struck the door, like his shoulder were tearing off completely and crushed underneath him. Then blackness as void as the hanger outside washed over him.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Who are"-Natarle asked on the _Archangel's _bridge, half rising from her chair.

-Paul Neumann," the blue-haired man replied, "I was ordered to move the ship."

"The _Archangel's _pilot? Who gave those orders?"

"Lieutenant Ramius, she's trying to retrieve the two units we believe are still ours."

"Very well then," Natarle straightened, "I'm going to go check on the base commander, get this ship's engines prepped."

* * *

SEED

* * *

Smoke billowed up, or was it down? Dearka Elseman tilted his head up at the smoke coming from the opposite end of the colony, and Heliopolis being a cylinder, that meant it was technically the "sky". Dearka had lived on Earth for most of his life, sporting a impressively muscular and tanned physique in comparison to most space dwelling folk, who looked quite pale and sickly in his estimation. He didn't like the look of skyscrapers hanging above the clouds, or the giant slope of city before him curving up to meet it. It felt too strange to him. Shivering at the enormity and awe of the colony, he turned his newly captured mobile suit, apparently called the Buster Gundam, and took off for the spaceport. Well, "took off" was what he wanted.

Instead of dashing into the air like the GINN or GINN High Maneuver, the Buster sort of lurched into the air like a fat man trying to jump up and catch a Frisbee. With a sickeningly loud smashing noise his steed landed in the middle of an intersection. He looked down at all the cars flipped on their backs all about him. His feet disappeared in smoke and flames as the cars he unintentionally squashed vented their cooked fuel.

"Jesus," he messed with his hair, "I'm going to catch it when I get back," he groaned, starting forward again, this time sending his machine in a long stride, easily over the cars and into a small building. He waded through several more two or three story structures, fiddling with his controls the whole way. "This OS sucks, poor Naturals. Can't they do anything right without us Coordinators helping them?" He jumped again, landing atop a skyscraper almost three times the Buster's size. "Here we go," he said, peering at his viewscreen as he zoomed in on the nearest cloud of smoke.

"Yzak, is that you?" A young voice called over the com, an auxiliary screen appearing with a young, pale faced man about a year younger than Dearka, his curly green locks almost covering his eyes. "I've got Rusty with me."

"What's it like up there?" Rusty Mackenzie asked, leaning into the camera with the victory sign, fire-orange hair flopping to one side of his face.

"I feel like an eagle, or something," Dearka replied, taking out his machine's pair of huge guns attached to the back's hardpoints. "I have no idea why someone put me with the oversized tank on legs," he said cheerily. "Oh, sweet these things can combine," he lifted the 444mm …whatever this rifle/launcher was supposed to be.

"That's some serious looking equipment," Rusty noted, "Awhef,-hey!" A gloved hand attached itself to Rusty's face, shoving him out of the camera's view.

Nicol smiled and waved, "Hey it looks like Yzak's getting into a firefight up there," he pointed up, indicating the billowing storm of smoke on the other side of Heliopolis. "So feisty as usual."

"Nicol, watch where you're going! They can't see us!" Rusty shouted, the camera shaking and the boys on the other end even more so.

Dearka saw dust rising up from several collapsed houses out of the corner of his vision as he raised the now combined 444mm mystery launcher to the Buster's right shoulder. He licked his lips in excitement and closed one eye, the other eye was enhanced, a defect from birth left him with only one eye with super vision. As it stood, he could probably hit a target the size of a soda can this distance, give or take.

"Yzak, you read me, buddy?"

The comline cracked and spat for a moment, then Yzak Joule's volcanic voice angrily stormed across the line, "what the hell? You're already out? I'm being attacked by a freaking mob over here!"

"Well hey, I'm sorry," Dearka said amiably. "Want me to test this new gun?"

"Gun? Whoa there! Don't you be so quick with where you point whatever it is you're pointing! I know what you did back in Basic Training with the bazooka! My ass almost got fried."

"Basic Training? We had that?" Dearka asked. And it was technically true, ZAFT had drafted as many soldiers as possible and thrown them into GINNS during the first assault by the Earth Alliance. At that time it was believed a nuclear assault had been prepared for Aprilius 1. The proper training had come after the pilot lessons, which sort of counted, if you counted real-life combat as mobile suit simulations 101. "Don't play around with me, or with your guns."

"It's taking you a long time, isn't it Yzak?" Nicol asked, genuinely sorry for Yzak.

"Speaking of where the heck are you two?" Dearka asked, looking around. "What weapons does Unit 4 have?"

"Can't see us can you?" Rusty asked, his voice going in and out though the video feed remained more or less constant. Dearka saw a cloud of dust rise up nearby, with another appearing not far away, "that's because the Blitz is a sophisticated mobile suit with a cloaking device! Bet the Millennium Falcon wished it had one of these!"

"Well that's just fine for you two," Yzak barked madly, making a grinding sound with his teeth very loudly like a furious attack dog. "Gah, there. I've-you wanna mess with the foot? Here!—drawn the short straw it seems—I'm sick of you fucking snipers! Missiles don't hurt me fool, can't you people tell the capabilities of your own damn robot!? This "Duel" Gundam has no weapons _AT ALL!"_

"That's tough," Rusty said, sounding contrite.

"You bet it's tough! Only someone with real resolve like me could handle dispatching these poor guys like this. The rest of you wouldn't be able to do it."

"I know," Nicol added. The Blitz Gundam's ebony body and yellow horns materialized at the base of Dearka's skyscraper, putting one hand on it and peering in at the horrified mass of people trying to scurry down to the ground floor like ants in an ant farm. "I don't think you should fire, Dearka."

"Don't sweat it, they're just a bunch of Naturals."

"I know I could handle squashing a few people," Rusty retorted to Yzak's earlier comment. He looked away on the auxiliary screen. "I just don't want to if I don't have to."

"Hey, is that a giant tank up there?" Dearka asked, seeing something moving through the smoke. He saw something slam into it and knock it back. "Yzak, move away from that giant tank." He ticked his aim over to the enemy weapon. "Bomb's Away!" Dearka shouted merrily, pulling the trigger.

The Buster's rifle remained silent for a quarter second, then a golden-yellow beam erupted from the mouth, a white-star like object flashing at the center of the blast. Dearka silently cheered, pumping a fist in the air as he watched the sparkling rod of energy speed toward Yzak's location.

A plume of smoke and flames erupted like the eruption of a volcano, eliciting a whoop from Rusty. "Hey, can I have the Buster?"

"You already got a-

-BASTARD! YOU ALMOST VAPORIZED ME!" Yzak shrieked in fury and panic enough to make Dearka's ears hurt.

Dearka paused from cleaning wax out his ear, feeling a slight…list. "Sorry about that, did I get the tank?" He peered at his screen, quickly fiddling with controls as he felt his Gundam starting to fall off the tower.

"That was no tank you MORON that was ME!"

"Dearka the building!"

Nicol's warning came too late as the skyscraper gave under the stress of absorbing the recoil of the Buster's super 444mm mystery cannon—which Dearka still didn't quite get but already loved—and the weight of his machine. Not to mention his initial landing and the stress _that _put on the support beams. Reinforced steel could only take so much, and when pieces collapsed from heavy impact, well, it happened a lot like dominos. The building caved in floor by floor like someone falling through a streetside market tent cover in the movies, chalky dust billowing out as each floor crashed into another.

Dearka and his Buster hit the ground amidst the dust, rising up to its knees almost painfully, tan and green armor coated in dust, some of it pinkish in color. "Man, you don't want to see yourself right now," Rusty said, glancing over to see Nicol holding his hands to his mouth. "Seriously, let's cut this out and find Athrun and Olor. I don't know about you getting the short end of the stick Yzak, but they haven't shown up yet and I'm getting worried."

"They're close," Yzak said, "at least they should be." Yzak paused in his cockpit and squinted at Rusty's civilian clothes. "Uhm, why aren't you in your pilot's suit. More importantly where's your mobile suit?"

"Don't know, the location for 6 was empty."

"I picked him up at an abandoned transport. Must have gotten up and walked on its own," Nicol said.

"Oh shit! You mean we have something with weapons like ours running around here?" Dearka cried in dismay, the Buster quickly taking cover behind another building.

"That's what we assume," Nicol finished. "Why did you think we were using our Mirage Colloid cloak?"

"Well I haven't seen anything and would relish the challenge of finding something other than people to burn up with these beam saber thingies that don't work right," Yzak swore. "I'm on my way to find Athrun. I'll also report in to Commander Le Creuset."

"Do that," Rusty said, more an order than spite, acting as an extra pair of eyes for Nicol and Dearka as they warily marched through the streets. "I wonder what this supposed _sixth member _can do?"

"Oh no, you did _NOT _just make a Power Rangers reference!" Yzak shouted.

"It could be a support unit like Dearka's Buster."

"Don't just ignore me! Hey, hey!"

"Go report in already, we've got to stop goofing off. It's dangerous and we've already killed too many innocent people for our clumsiness."

"Then next time they shouldn't put them in a civilian colony," Yzak insisted before cutting of the line.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Gunbarrels whipped about the Rau's GINN HM, the mobile suit's autocannon spewing flashes of light from its red-hot muzzle as it tried to take out the wild targets. Twin thruster trails spiraled into a helix from the GINN's wings as it zigzagged right-left-up-down, the gunbarrels firing back with their own guns, peppering the space around Rau with thousands of bullets and flashing yellow tracers.

A linear cannon shell raced by the GINN, tearing off the mobile suit's elegant wing crest. Mu shouted in victory—the Moebius Zero raced up, spinning like a drill. Another linear shot, the GINN arced over it, firing its autocannon at two gunbarrels attempting to take it from the sides.

"I've got you," Mu muttered, left forefinger pushing the circular diagram on the control pad, a similar target circle appearing on the right side of his main viewscreen, tracking the location of his farthest gunbarrel. He tapped with his fingers, sending the barrel whipping around toward Rau, firing off with its pair of 50mm guns.

Bullets panged off the back of Rau's GINN HM, he spiraled away, a grenade sailing at the other grenades. The Moebius Zero blew it apart with the linear cannon, racing through the selfsame explosion, firing away, its gunbarrels swarming up ahead of both machines, spraying fire in a deadly net.

{_"Come now, Mu, do you really consider this old move effective on me,"} _Rau thought to Mu.

Mu responded by crashing one barrel into the GINN's left wing, then surrounded it with fire, a yellow targeting reticle fixating on the GINN. It turned blue, he pulled the trigger, jerked the MZ to the left in a roll to avoid a furious barrage of autocannon fire, then up over a grenade.

Rau slalomed through the gunbarrels, dropping a grenade behind him, other arm stowing the rifle. He zipped around several burst from the gunbarrels and boosted for the wall of the access tunnel-

-Mu cursed and ordered his funnels back, frantically running his hands along the control pad like a nervous video gamer on too many energy drinks. The grenade detonated, spraying superheated shrapnel the size of a person in an expanding cloud of death. Two gunbarrels flipped wildly off course, spewing engine fluid and smoke. Mu spun his armor around and pointed it at the GINN-

-which grabbed its thrown grenade and hurled it back. Mu shut his eyes against the blinding glare, knees grabbing the yoke and directing him beneath the blast, hands commanding his gunbarrels to return to him. That mysterious lightning bolt in front of his vision again, he banked right, dodging a furious autocannon burst, then left, Rau himself arcing by on twin columns of thruster power.

The Moebius Zero swerved around in a quick u-turn, more like a checkmark dash, slamming into the GINN HM as it arced around and reached for its melee sword. Rau spun back, righted his machine in a cloud of exhaust and exited with a full burst of power, autocannon blazing behind him at the gunbarrels.

Mu sent his machine into a spin, angling down and backward, three gunbarrels magnetically clamping to the connector wings. [Module #3 tank leak] a diagnostics box messaged on his control board screen, forcing Mu to cut the flow, a small diagram of the gunbarrel resupply and refuel systems showing a blue line leading to #3 turn brown.

He boosted after Rau, who exited the access tunnel and brought out his Cattus, heavy recoilless rifle that fired 500mm shells. Blossoms of fire erupted along the supply transport's hull, gun turrets along its sides hopelessly clouding the airspace around it in an attempt to catch the GINN HM, which danced like a fly through the deluge with not a single bullet scraping its near-blemishless paint. The GINN raised its rifle again and fired off three more shots, turning three turrets into roaring geysers fire.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Captain Djibril! Sir, can you," Natarle hacked and put a hand to her mouth, coughing. She saw the blue remnants of an energy drink slowly flip by, spewing clear gel, the droplets slowly dying pink at the edges as they sailed to the wall.

Natarle smelled something faint, a somewhat sweet, roasted smell of cooked pork with an ominously sour odor mixed in. She halted by the charred and blackened rubble blocking the rest of the room and looked away. She saw something drifting above her and caught it. It was the captain's cap, wrinkled and smelling of smoke and even faintly of burnt flesh. Taking a deep breath, she placed it on her head as a sign of respect. Successive series of flashes outside turned her head, columns of flame like three fireworks spewed fire up from the _Brantis' _hull. Kicking off the floor, she pulled out a wire-gun used for quick travel in a zero-g environment and grappled to the bulkhead outside, pulling out her radio, "Neumann set the turrets to automatic! Issue a call through the ship for all available personnel to man what weapons we can!"

* * *

SEED

* * *

The GINN's mooneye swiveled to regard the charging Moebius Zero as it careened down to the engines, landing on the ship's green hull and taking a pill-shaped mine off its back. Inside his High Maneuver, Rau grinned at Mu's helpless advance. The GINN opened its armored palm and let the mine casually drift down to the engines. It touched the metal, the GINN launched off into a swarm of gunbarrel fire, Mu cursed and Rau cackled—the mine blew apart, sending shrapnel flipping end over end, edges glowing white-hot spalling fragments.

The transport's rear side flipped up and forward thanks to the explosion. It banged against the wall above the exit tunnel, fire from the blazing remnants of the engine housing igniting a vaporous cloud of air escaping from the storage compartments.

"No!" Mu roared, pulling on the yoke with all his might. His mobile armor spun wildly before righting itself and arrowing after Rau.

"You can have this as an apology," Rau chuckled, letting the emptied Cattus fly back as he continued toward the listing _Brantis. _

The gun slammed into a gunbarrel, knocking it off course like a swatted bee. Mu rolled in and caught it on a wing, firing his linear cannon and gunbarrel already mounted, the newly picked up pod adding its fire shortly afterward.

"It's too late," Mu spat, watching Rau halt in front of the transport and send a grenade sailing in. The twin thrusters on the GINN HM flashed to life, Rau racing back to meet him. The grenade went off, blowing the stored munitions within the ship. A wave of shrapnel flew out in pursuit of the white machine.

Mu braced for the effect of g-forces as he spun his machine around, corrected it so he wouldn't keep spinning like a thrown stick and jetted away, a series of lout bangs sounded from behind. Shaking his head clear of the black spots of near black-out, he saw a warning message flashing, the alarm droning in his ear.

Smoke trailed from the MZ, one of its engines sputtering and flickering helplessly. It banked to one side, offering up its gunbarrels as bait, their 50mm guns extending to fire.

Rau hurled his machine over the rounds, then down and to the left, after Mu, wings adjusting the throttle to his needs, the extra boosters on his legs cutting on and off at intervals, allowing him to quickly "sidestep" incoming rounds without gunning at full speed in any direction needlessly; he could just hop to the side of incoming bullets with a tap to the thruster.

"Commander Le Creuset!" A young man's voice called, "I have secured Unit 1. What?" He asked on the other end, his curt, respectful tone turning acidic and loud, "Dearka says he's clear too. Not that it was any surprise. Huh? THAT WAS A COMPLEMENT DUMBASS!" The pilot shouted back to Dearka on the other line.

"Calm down Ysak, return to the Vesalius as planned." Rau refocused his attention to Mu. "That's not a happy sight."

"Hey Rau, I have a surprise for you," Mu called, his armor arcing away from the white warship rising up behind the MZ, two identical weapons deploying on the vessel's sides. The weapons extended and a moment later a pair of bright Valiant linear cannon shots flashed in Rau's direction.

The shrapnel reached Rau about then, the only thing that saved him from being gunned down by Mu's sneaky little gunbarrels taking careful aim at his rear.

"As I always say, Mu," Rau called, rushing through the debris cloud toward the orange fighter, "when backed into a corner, wait for your schemes to rescue you," he fired his 75mm, aiming at another of Mu's engines. A pair of near-blinding emerald beams flashed in front of him. Rau sent his machine rolling down. He aimed the GINN's rifle at the enemy warship, only to have the worthless thing jam thanks to shrapnel embedded inside its bore. Tossing the useless weapon, he rushed down to the hanger floor, sharp bits of rubble and half melted slag peppering his machine like sleet.

"It's your schemes that back you into a corner," Mu replied over the com, now floating stationary beside a large tower rising up from the floor to connect with the ceiling like a square pillar. The opening of his linear cannon flashed twice, then he rolled easily behind the tower, safe to let it take the brunt of the shrapnel storm.

Rau ignored the shots, already sure the jetsam would take care to redirect their aim. That was a problem for physical munitions in space, it was easier to redirect their path if struck, helpful at these long ranges.

Speaking of range….The white ship drew close; plowed straight through the debris, lowering the pair of giant beam cannons mounted atop its legs. It fired away a whole payload of anti-ship missiles, decimating the larger fragments careening its way.

Biting his lip almost until he broke the skin, Rau reached an opening in the floor and dove beneath the stormcloud of metal he'd unleashed. Above, he could still see and imagine the pings of shrapnel finding its way into the shaft after him. Now to check on his boys to make sure they behaved.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"You're back," Neumann breathed a sigh, sitting at the ship's helm and moving the _Archangel _toward its loading shaft, which led back into the shipyard that built it. "How'd you get passed that shrapnel storm?"

"I was back before it hit," Natarle responded, landing in the captain's chair, "send us back down, we need to get out of this colony."

"We'd cause some severe structural damage if we blasted through that wreckage with the Gottfried."

"That won't work," Natarle replied, concentrating on the broader scheme of things and what they needed to do here, "the enemy has a new _Nazca _class vessel and support units with anti-fortress missiles. That's the only way we can account for the structural damage reports we keep receiving. Judging from the attack force's alacrity, they don't fear us overpowering them in retribution even with Alliance 8th Fleet patrolling the sector and Orb's own defense forces. They must have Laurasia hiding in wait. Neumann, this ship's current fighting capacity?"

"I'm only one person, Ma'am, I can't run a proper diagnostics check and steer."

"Understood helmsman, we'll pick up the skeleton crew at the warehouse entrance," Natarle maintained her composure by focusing on keeping her back ramrod erect, feeling all her tension transform her spine into an iron S. It calmed her, and bolstered confidence, and the whole mess of the situation started to come into focus.

"Charge the Lohengrins once we have full power from the engines," Natarle ordered after some thought, she caught herself and coughed, "I apologize, Neumann. Isn't there anyone on the ship besides the two of us?"

"Everyone I brought with me is part of the engineering crew, that's why the Valiants are loaded and our ship is actually running at all. Murdock needs a crew for his own work, too. The engines could have issues since this is our first real live-combat scenario with them running. He can't spare anyone."

"I see. I will attempt to contact Lieutenant Ramius. Also, Commander La Flaga will need to know our location," she reminded herself. But she needed to man the CIC in case the white GINN followed them. "Hurry and get us to port, we need a crew."

* * *

SEED

* * *

Athrun Zala, ZAFT Red, an elite pilot sat in the chair of his "stolen" mobile suit, the Gundam Unit 3; Aegis, which had never even managed to escape the warehouse that served as its hanger. He'd just settled into the cockpit, strapped himself in and prepared to take Unit 5 from a young man who looked disturbingly like Kira Yamato, a boy he'd grown up with. And one who'd also killed a comrade of his, Olor, right as he was about to steal Unit 5.

He'd realized very fast that the OS system was totally screwed up, to put it mildly. While he still got the thing moving after a few minutes, missiles from Miguel Aimon's barrages on the colony knocked his machine over indirectly thanks to loosened debris.

He'd woken up a few minutes ago with a nasty bruise on his skull that hurt like someone attempting to drill a hole through his brain pan.

That led to now. Groggily he looked around the cockpit, one to make sure the girl he'd abducted hadn't slipped away. She seemed to be aware of the Gundams' significance here on Heliopolis, which meant she may potentially be of some importance.

His head reached the side of the chair when a pair of hands silently slipped a rag over his throat and jerked him back, tightening with all their strength.

Wild-eyed, he grabbed at the make-shift garrote, vaguely remembering that he didn't have time to search her pockets thoroughly. The girl rose up from behind the chair and leaned down to stare him in the eye, amber irises blazing with fury. Athrun renewed his struggles, grabbing at her hair—this girl definitely possessed the nerve-"Gyaahg"-and the strength to murder him.

She saw the hand reaching and disappeared behind the seat before it reached her. He heard rather than felt a foot plant against the seat for leverage and the strain tightened. Eyes practically bulging out of his skull, Athrun fought with all his strength, but a Coordinator wasn't always a superman, and his skills did run in the area of superhuman strength.

Dark blotches like inky paint melted his vision away, his mind following suit shortly thereafter.

A tearing noise released the pressure from his esophagus, he stumbled forward, gagging and hacking. Fighting to regain his full consciousness, he grabbed the knife in his boot and twisted around, hand clamped by that iron grip of the girl as she reached forward to attack again. The gag had been yanked so hard the fabric that made the handkerchief tore, now she was coming to finish the deed with her bare hands.

"Bastard! I won't let you!" She shrieked, spitting into his face.

Athrun growled in rage, tossing the knife to his other hand, catching it before she did with his superior reflexes. "Sorry Natural," he said, pulling his butt off the seat and dragging her with him. He kicked her in the stomach, even as she somehow managed to wrest the knife away with a daft twist with the back of her hand on the flat of the blade. She fell back, slammed her head against the side of the control panel and slumped back, unconscious.

"This time," Athrun sighed, taking out a pair of restraints conveniently provided beneath the Aegis' pilot's seat, "let's do this the right way, shall we?"

* * *

SEED

* * *

Ysak Joule set the Duel Gundam at a brisk trot, and it was probably the most qualified to the description, being literally all basic armor and very little-no-nothing else, nothing. Period. Zip. As in "weaponless", Yzak's lips moved in an unceasing utterance of curses for the five minutes it took to get to what looked like a boarding school, packed with frantic Natural teenagers with half the brains of a single retarded and heavily medicated cockroach.

Currently they were exhibiting perfect prey behavior, packing together, one random individual thinking they knew the way, then everyone following them in a constant surging mass like an ocean tide that didn't know which direction it wanted to go in. Most were getting the idea they needed to get to some shelters, but most of those were filling up, it looked like, as people without a care for the kids ran to the school shelters ahead of them from the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.

"Worthless all of you," he called through the speakers, hand shaking with the desire to fire something loud into the air but totally unable, since the faulty beam sabers in the Duel's hips were barely able to spit sparks, nowhere near explosive or accurate enough to remove some useless Naturals.

He looked down to see half the mass of people were standing there in awe at him, then he zoomed in to find they were almost…almost…almost….no, it didn't bear thinking about. "Excited? They're staring at me like I'm some kind of hot dance Idol. Hey freaks! I'm not Lacus Clyne. Stop ogling me like porno and get a move-on to those shelters you lazy rats!" _Before I spontaneously start stomping on you like the ants you are, Natural worms. _"Hurry it up or get caught when the colony collapses!"

This was met with a properly-felt terror reaction, and he stomped on, watching with glee as he saw them running for their lives to a safe place, banging on the shelters desperately to no avail.

"What the"-

-an explosion hurled the Duel backward, slamming the blue machine into a park filled with pink cherry trees in full spring bloom. Flames clawed at the air, only for the vacuum to suck them back down and through the twisted breach in the ground. The wind whipped, dragging thousands of petals and trash into the gaping hole. An orange GINN roared up from the opening, landing not far from the Duel. It spun on him and drew a large broadsword, ready to spear him through at the wrong provocation. Thankfully, Yzak knew the crap pilot inside well enough, too well. "What the fuck was that, Miguel?" He demanded, the Duel rising up on its legs again.

"Creuset said to come in and support you," the other pilot replied with a sneer, "be a grateful rookie."

Yzak surged with rage but choked it down for the moment, returning his gaze back to the breach, "nice of you to make an entry for me—Athrun and Olor aren't back from the shelf facility. We may need tot take Units 3 and 5 on our own."

"No way that they're dead! I respect Zala and Olor is twice the soldier either of you newbs are."

"Well maybe he got conceded and some dolt who can't even fire _guided missiles _straight did him in," Yzak shot back, very serious. He and Olor's personalities were quite similar, the difference in Yzak's mind being that he didn't underestimate or overestimate a Natural. Olor on the other hand did. "I wouldn't mind the guy being lost on this mission," he said, making sure Miguel couldn't hear him. "He always did rub me the wrong way."

With that, Yzak leapt into the gaping hole Miguel had blown there with his Canus missiles.

"Wait!" Miguel yelled at Yzak, jumping in after the Gundam, "I just came out of there, I don't want to go back!"

"Shut up and keep moving, we have a job to do, or do you want to leave Olor in a lurch for your stupidity?"

"No," Miguel admitted dourly. "You know, I have a bad feeling about this. Wasn't there a sixth unit that vanished?"

"I'm not sure, Rusty's not good at giving details in the middle of combat, and neither am I at taking notes."

"How did I get passed up for piloting a Gundam? You shouldn't be allowed in that thing!"

"You're a trigger-happy nut like Dearka. Between the two of you, this whole colony would be space trash before we got out!"

The two machines entered the winding corridors of the colony, following a map provided to them for their infiltration earlier that day. This region was a little less accurate than Yzak's had been, since his machine was stored in a relatively easy to observe location, at least in comparison to a shelf factory. They found the doors that led to the hanger and the Duel stepped forward, "I have more force behind my limbs," he explained before the dull blonde could even think to ask why he wasn't getting to do the honors.

With a heave, the Duel proved itself quite capable of yanking open the doors, revealing a burning furnace, with fuel tanks still going off one by one like candles to a lighter.

"You see why you don't fucking fire anti-_fortress _missiles into a colony!?"

"I didn't get the memo on where your targets were, only to rough up the colony a little," Miguel retorted, though his voice lowered at the end as he saw another tank erupt in a dazzling fireball, "I think I overdid it a little."

"No comment."

There was a grating noise, and the ceiling gave way like wet paper. "It's collapsing!" Both shouted in unison, turning their machines around to evacuate. Rubble rained down about their head, panging off the GINN and Duel's armored frames.

"I guess we made it too late. Yzak, I'm really sorry, I've got nothing to say to make up for it," Miguel said, shoulders slumped as he and Yzak both watched the roof above the hanger cave completely, burying whatever was left of the mobile suits, if there had been any inside at all. Miguel and Yzak both prayed there wasn't.

"What's that?" Miguel asked, straightening in his seat.

"What?" Yzak squinted at the flames, super duper eyesight not one of the abilities Coordination granted him. Rising in slow motion, a white and blue machine stood amidst the flames, armor blemishless as if it were standing in a clean hanger and not a blazing inferno. Its four-horned head lifted to regard them with luminous green eyes like a demon from the fire. Stepping forward awkwardly, the machine drunkenly swaggered toward them, arms outstretched.

"Olor, is that you?" Miguel asked excitedly.

"Wait, that's not normal, that machine's being piloted by a Natural," Yzak warned.

"If he is," Miguel whipped out his heavy broad sword, the blade telescoping outward, "I'll carve him to slithers! To the right," he cried, whipping around and bringing up his rifle, pointed directly at a panel in the wall unfolding to reveal a set of polished blue armor shining in the flames. Robotic arms extended the armor for the mobile suit to wield, one flipping a wicked looking saw bladed sword expertly in a one-eighty degree turn.

"Don't let it get those weapons," Miguel said as if reading from a manual, stalking toward the armor.

"What are you doing? We're supposed to capture the damn stuff," Yzak reminded, running passed the ochre GINN to grab hold of the blue and orange shield, next hefting the blade.

"I've got nothing but a pair of inoperable saber weapons," Yzak explained, "The Duel could use a good weapon." He turned around to regard the white Gundam as it stepped from the edge of the flames, sparks and embers flying about it in a swirl as ashes fell off its shoulders and armor chinks. He didn't know why, but when he saw its haggard movement in reminded him of a monster from an old zombie movie. He resisted the urge to shiver. It was unarmed and obviously handicapped by pilot and faulty OS, it couldn't hurt him at all even if his Duel's armor was cardboard.

"Hailing Alliance mobile suit, raise your machine's hands slowly and exit the cockpit with your real hands up. That's our final warning if you know what I mean."

"He wants to kill you." Miguel added snidely. "We're taking the models. Sorry for the pyrotechnics by the way. If you don't want this colony done like the hanger, get out _now._"

"Way to encourage them," Yzak sneered into his auxiliary screen at Miguel, who shrugged and smiled.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Ms. Murrue, did they just threaten to destroy the colony?"

"There was a automated warning earlier regarding a wall breaching. It's probably sealed up by now however that won't help if Heliopolis sustains more like it. Nothing to say what would happen to the life pods stranded in colony wreckage."

"We can't let them!" Kira shouted.

"Ideas please."

"Do as they say!" Kira half shouted.

"Those two are die-hard Coordinators from ZAFT, the people who used heavy explosives on Copernicus during the UN convention," Murrue returned hotly, "and Red Coats besides. They'll kill us."

Kira looked away, almost as if he'd been slapped. "I don't want Heliopolis to collapse, that would…that would be my whole world crumbling."

"Then we have to do something about it," Murrue sent the Strike Gundam staggering forward, already typing in commands.

"Die then!" Laughed one of the pilots, leaping forward, blade extended to pierce them.

Kira's heart leapt into his throat as he saw Murrue run them all the faster at the charging orange GINN.

"That won't work on PS! Brace yourself Kira," she tensed. The impact shook them both about as bad as the concussion from a missile had earlier, rattling Kira's teeth. He hung onto the seat until his fingers turned white.

"What the devil is this thing made of!?" Miguel cried, stepping back and raising his sword up again into a guard position, the tip blunted.

"Phase Shift armor, normal weapons won't penetrate it," Yzak replied, charging in at the Strike with the blade upraised. "This one's edge is Phase Shifted! It'll cut just fine," he grinned wolfishly.

"It doesn't have a good enough response!" Murrue shouted, sending the Strike reeling back, blocking the slash from the Duel by throwing up its arms, leaving a long, jagged gash in both forearm armor that sparked ominously.

"We've lost ten percent mobility in the right arm, left arm won't be able to move its small finger," Murrue read off the board, furious. "The G Units weren't ready to fight, none of them and this one the first among them," she screamed as the Duel shield-bashed the Strike, grabbed it by its face and slammed it against the wall with a resounding crash.

Murrue raised her head from the dashboard, blood pouring from a cut on her head. "Kira, get out of here now!"

"We can still do it!" Kira shouted, "just adjust the command pathways a little!"

"I don't have the expertise," she cried, gritting her teeth as the Strike shook again, a warning alarm blared. "CIWS," she muttered, thumbing a trigger on the joystick. The Duel reared back in surprise, one of its bright, green eyes a smoking ruin, sparks popping from the ends of dancing wires. "I need to reprogram the OS, not renovate it!"

Kira saw the GINN slide in from the side and a quintet of missiles pop out from launchers on its legs. "Look out!" He shouted, grabbing the controls from her and sending the Strike diving into the Duel, which had just recovered its carelessly dropped sword. Missiles flew overhead and blew the floor apart around the grappling Gundams, peppering their impervious hides with clattering metal debris.

"Watch it!" Yzak bellowed, craning in his seat to glower murder at Miguel.

"Same to you! Don't drop your only real weapon."

"Kira…" Murrue stared at the boy with mouth agape as he finally extricated the Duel's stolen blade and hurled it away into the flames. Murrue snapped out of her shock and pushed him back, "Don't waste our weapons, that was _our _tool to begin with."

"You won't be able to use it," Kira insisted, fighting her for the controls. "Our sensitivity is too low!"

"Well than let me try to think of something," she snapped. The machine rumbled again, slammed backward by the Duel.

"You'll pay for that! That was the only thing that could disable you! Now you're in for it, Miguel!"

The Orange GINN hurled over a rifle previously held by one of the robot arms, the Duel caught it and leveled off the weapon right at the Strike's chest, just below the collar on a human. "I'm assuming this is on par with Dearka's guns." He grinned lopsidedly.

"Let me do it!" Kira finally shouted, no longer sure what he was saying but determined as hell to live. "Get out of the seat," he grabbed Murrue's restraints and unbuckled them in a flash, practically throwing her out of it and sending the Strike diving forward like a runner sliding to home base, the Duel sidestepped and fired, melting away some of the Strike's back armor and sending up piercing sirens all around Kira enough to make his head spin.

"Recalibrate the whole response processing structure," Kira thought aloud, hands flying across the dashboard's control panel as he typed like a madman. "Below," he muttered, kicking at the Duel even as it did the same, both machines rocked backwards. "Balance should be automatically compensated," his eyes ran across the screen, filling out the code in an instant. He could see it, he could see it all right now, the commands that must be issuing from the Duel's superior and more simplified OS to allow for such fluid movement. The unneeded junk filling up the space in the Strike's hardrive causing it to lag behind in each and every movement. He destroyed the whole thing and started over, [WARNING] flashing in bold letters all across the screens, obscuring his vision of the Duel as it drew out a white rod from its hip.

"A beam saber!" Murrue shouted, "Get back!"

The saber ignited, spluttering and spitting a greenish blue light. It wasn't at full charge but it would do just fine. The plasma burned depressions into the otherwise invincible Phase Shift, forcing Kira to make the machine step back, only to have it fall onto its rear without a single movement from the legs.

"You killed the OS, what were you"-

-"I'm a friend of Athrun!" Kira shouted over the com. "My name is Kira! Kira Yamato, I'm a Coordinator from Heliopolis Middle, or was." He added, breathless, not sure why he'd thought to say it. Maybe this guy knew Athrun-if that other pilot had really been him-and would hesitate for a few precious moments. "Ten seconds."

"Wha?" Murrue questioned, leaning closer.

"Ten seconds is all I need," his hands flew over the keys. _Eight remaining._

"Athrun's friend? Never heard of you, smart-aleck!" Yzak replied bringing up the rifle again, it sputtered green particles and nothing else. Cursing, he tossed it and stalked forward with both beam sabers instead, each sparking like live wires.

_Two. _He pressed the finish key and the Strike's eyes flashed to life again, with twice the vigor from before. It leapt up, drew a knife from its hip holster and slammed it into the Duel's belly.

"Huahahaaaaaghgggg!"

"Yzak!"

The area around the battling mobile suits shuddered, the ceiling came down like the end of the world.

* * *

SEED

* * *

The grounds surrounding the technical school cracked, a huge, white spike lancing up from the ground. The Strike Gundam followed not long afterward, dirt and piping gushing with water splashing and dripping off its armor. "That wasn't so hard," Kira said, looking around at the school. It looked like the cave-in below definitely damaged the integrity of the buildings, many of which slanted on the concaving terrain.

"Digging up here wasn't the best idea I had today," Murrue replied, hugging her wounded arm, a bandage now firmly wrapped about her scalp wound, which she had diagnosed as nothing but a bad bump, given how it looked like she was growing a second head there. Still, she'd definitely want a medical examiner on the _Archangel _when they arrived.

"Why did we surface at all? Isn't the _Archangel _ underground too?"

"We can cover ground faster running than fighting our way through the maze under us," Murrue replied. "I have a stop for us to make up here as well in case we encounter those two again."

"It's Tolle and Mir!" Kira cried, leaning into the screen at his friends, who were banging their fists on the now sealed shelter elevator.

"Leave them, we don't have"-Murrue sighed and gave up as the Strike started toward Kira's friends. There was no arguing and it wasn't like the kids could miss seeing their flashy arrival. Besides, it was the right thing to do..

* * *

SEED

* * *

"A warship?!" Flay cried as Karin led them through a door and out into a spacious hanger, where a white ship was just then docking at the port.

"I took a wrong turn," Karin muttered to herself, feeling foolish and at the same time more lucky than she had in ages. "We'll board the ship or harangue the location of the nearest shelter out of them," Karin announced, quickening her pace to the legged vessel.

"Orb really is in deep waters," Sai said to Flay as they jogged, "this had to be sanctioned here by Parliament."

"It can't be," Flay insisted, "we're _neutral_. And my Daddy would never involve Heliopolis. As the Vice Foreign Minister he'd be privy to this kind of decision."

"My guess is that most of Alliance Command doesn't know or either Orb was building this here on our own and only recently let the EA in on it."

"Don't act like it's yours or my responsibility," Flay retorted, shaking her head, "No one asked me whether I wanted to build this thing here!"

"Not important now," Jane said off to the side, holding up the train of her skirt so she could run, very thankful she'd worn her cowgirl style boots and not her high heels today.

As the school kids made their way across a bridge to the ship, other people began to arrive from an elevator in another corner, some Alliance engineers while a goodly portion appeared to be denizens of Heliopolis trying to find someplace safe to hide.

"Everyone who comes aboard has to submit to temporary impressment," a man called out on the gangway, "We're under-crewed," he explained to the disapproval of those waiting to board. It may not have been a nice situation but at least the _Archangel _had guns to shoot. No one was sure if the ZAFT forces might decide to destroy the colony and hunt down the lifepods, it's what Blue Cosmos would do, after all.

"Ms. Karin," Kuzzey asked doubtfully, staring up at the forbidding warship.

"I don't want to go," Jane said, stepping back with clinched fists. "I thought you were taking us to a shelter!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't find the way like I hoped and given how many people are here, I would say the shelters are too far off or full up," Karin replied gravely, "it's you're decision, kids."

"Fine, like we have a choice," Flay rolled her eyes and grabbed Sai's arm, "escort me please, Sai Dear."

"Wait—you're actually going to get on!"

"It's not like they can do anything constructive with a bunch of kids like us."

"Maybe not a girl like you but there's no telling where Kuzzey and me might end up—I have no intention of helping the Alliance fight a war in _our homeland_."

"You babies don't have a choice," a young man walked up from the group of people, leering with his head sidewise. "You chicks aughta be thankful they're even letting you onboard for decorating," he licked his lips as his green eyes beheld Jane.

"Just who do you think you are!?" Flay demanded, stepping closer to Sai, frowning deeply in anger. This guy's bangs were way too long for the rest of his ear-length hair. And what was the deal with the coloring? It was a sickly blonde that was almost an unhealthy green. Had he dyed it or…"You're a Coordinator," she accused, pointing a finger.

Sai grabbed her wrist and jerked her arm back to her side, "Flay," he hissed.

"A Coordi-Ahahahahha," he shook his head and walked off without another word, hands in his pocket to an older gentleman with a slight ponch. The two teenagers flanking him jeered at the sickly haired kid and went on ahead into the ship.

"Children, did Orga say something bad to you?" The man asked as he approached, dragging the boy with him like he were a toddler, his soft blue eyes and smile disarming the tension Orga created, still eyeing Jane like she were a piece of meat.

"Please don't mind him, he's very nervous and takes it out on strangers. Please hurry aboard, I promise you it is safer than running around in those dark corridors lost while the colony comes apart. We won't be engaging in any unnecessary combat I hope."

"Sir, are you in the military?" Karin asked suspiciously.

"No, not I," the man replied, clasping his hands. "But I do have friends and associates here. We couldn't find a shelter that wasn't packed already…." He said leadingly before turning to Orga, "Get going, you're being rude. Sorry young lady, he gets like that around girls, all-boys school for years and all that." He smiled reassuringly at Jane and turned to go.

"He's right about one thing, we may never find an open shelter. If the damage gets extensive enough an old colony like Heliopolis will not last," Sai reasoned. "And that means the lifepods would eject and leave us stranded."

"Then let's go," Flay insisted, tugging on his arm. Sai relented and let her drag him, the others filing in behind one after the other.

Jane glanced back at the dark alleys and shuddered. If she went aboard she might end up in another one of _those _situations with that Orga guy. On the opposite side she may end up dead. She shook her head and fought back tears of frustration. She couldn't go. She couldn't go forward or back without losing everything. Maybe she would be safe aboard the ship, but that meant flying into a war zone and she knew from her last days on Copernicus that a battlefield was _never _safe. She bit her lip and felt something red trickling down her cheek.

"There, there," a gentle voice said, a delicate hand wiped away the blood.

"What?"

The doctor smiled and patted Jane on the back, "I know you're frightened. But don't worry, Orga and the other boys aren't bad kids—they get like that when they see people not sticking up for their friends when they're scared—that's one reason he was eyeing you so much. He's kind hearted but can't show it the right way."

"He-was looking at me for that? I-I still can't go," she repeated, turning away.

"Don't-please." He grabbed her shoulder.

"No!"

"Please dear girl it'll be the death of you for certain if the colony collapses!" He shouted over her. When she stopped he let go and extended the hand, "now take my hand, and we can find a safe place in the infirmary to hide. I don't like battles either. No one will force you into a gun turret." Jane took his hand and let the good doctor lead her aboard the _Archangel _ after the others, "there, that makes me feel better, thank you."

"You? You did this for me."

"_Dou-_I didn't do such a thing, Ms…"

"Jane Bowie."

"Ms. Bowie, I will have you know I am a coward. But I can see you are not, you merely want to live. Between you and me I think if more people were afraid of battles the world would be a more peaceful place for us all."

"Yes, it would," Jane replied, squeezing his firm hand a little tighter as they stepped up the gangway.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"This is beyond freaking awesome," Tolle gushed, hands pressed to the window, Mir nestled in front of him within the cramped space behind the pilot's chair. "Look at how small everything seems from up here!"

"We're only fifty feet up, Tolle," Miriallia assured, huddling a bit closer against his firm body. She didn't like being in a war machine, especially this one after it grabbed them without warning and plopped them into the cockpit—and yes she was going to smack Kira for it later. Shame on him for not at least using the loudspeaker to let them know he was going to abduct them in a giant war machine!

"Oh come on," Tolle wrapped an arm around her waist, "at least the accommodations aren't bad."

"I see the two of you have yet to grasp the situation," Murrue said with a smile. To think kids their age were already being drafted by the Earth Alliance all over the world. Some had already been sent to the front lines by now. "The war is going to gear up from now on. This was the only reason the EA was holding back against ZAFT. Now that our secret is out I expect the 8th Fleet will be paying a visit to Heliopolis."

"Tolle," Mir said, eyes squinting, "will we have to leave?"

"Maybe, if the damage is going to be that great."

"I hope everyone else is alright down there," Kira said, thinking of the others Karin was leading through the wall. It was nice to hear the watchful teacher was looking out for them.

"I'm sure your teacher found refuge," Murrue said, typing on the controls, "Here we go, just outside that abandoned building, Kira."

The Strike halted in front of a nondescript building, where a section of the concrete parking lot around it began to lower into the ground.

"This the Launcher Strike," Murrue said, "we lost the Gale's blade so this is the best option to use. Make sure to keep the beam rifle on hand though when equipping it. Its more general-use than the hyper-impulse cannon the Launcher has."

"Right," Kira looked down at the instructions again. The Strike had a number of packs to outfit for different combat scenarios, this Launcher appeared to be an artillery unit of sorts.

The hidden elevator finally pulled away. A white blur hurled up from the shaft, dashing up into the sky.

"A GINN!" Murrue shouted.

"What's it doing here!?" Tolle yelled, watching the machine hovering overhead on a quartet of blue thruster flames.

"This seems to be my lucky day," Rau smiled inside the cockpit of the GINN HM, training his gun on the Strike. "Is this the missing Unit 6 or the one Olor was supposed to fetch?"

The Strike reached down just as a green cannon rose up from the elevator, attached to a hat rack looking pole with multiple robotic arms. The arms reached out and started fitting armor onto the Gundam, a shoulder shield, a grenade launcher type weapon on the shoulder above the shield, and the cannon on the other, which the Gundam hefted and spun up towards Rau with notable swiftness.

"That pilot has a wonderful hand on the controls," he noted, swooping further up into the air, whipping out the collapsible weapon on his back, a new anti-armor assault rifle. It wouldn't do much against this thing if the technical specs he'd gotten his hands on were any indication. But at least he could have the security of a weapon to use.

"Kira, don't fire that cannon, it's too dangerous," Murrue warned, grabbing Kira's arm, "it's designed for use far, far away from colonies."

"But we can't let it keep attacking us," Miriallia protested.

"Something's emerging on radar," Kira interrupted, pointing to a blip on the screen. All three turned in the direction it indicated. The Strike listed and almost fell, Kira quickly helped right his machine, putting it into a braced stance as the ground quaked. Four beams of green light flew into the sky, followed by the ground itself as if someone fired a bomb from below. A form appeared through the billowing dust, a pair of elegant legs and white and red wings swept up into the colony sky, arching up over their heads with deceptive slowness, trailing fragments of rock and dust.

"The Legged ship," Rau murmured.

"That's our ride," Murrue said, feeling relief flood her as she took in the sight of the _Archangel's _first flight.


	5. Phase 004 Neutral Ground

**Author's notes: **I return, and about time too. Not much to say, so without further ado...*Gotta keep that blasted title centered with author's notes, hehehe*

* * *

-Phase 004-

"Neutral Ground"

February 4th, CE 70—Heliopolis "Neutral" Space Colony

"Strike Pilot, do you copy?"

Kira Yamato glanced at the auxiliary screen as it popped up, "We read you—Sai!? What are you doing on the ship?"

"I'm not sure, a lot of things happened. Look, the point of concern is getting your Gundam into the ship as fast as we can," Sai said, putting off the question of how in the world Kira ended up inside the Strike. He'd assumed the Coordinator had managed to get to a shelter already. "There were five other mobile suits beside your own, three of them are currently in ZAFT's hands."

"I know—I mean I fought _one _of them."

"It was the Duel," Murrue said through a wall of clinched teeth, craning her neck by Kira's shoulder, "Who is in charge of the _Archangel?_"

"Captain Badgiruel," Sai stopped and heard someone call his name, glanced over for a moment before turning back, "actually, it's Ensign Badgiruel. She wants to know if you're fit for command, Lieutenant Ramius."

"I'm banged up but I can manage if it's necessary," Murrue replied.

Meanwhile Kira got the controls readied and made the jump, grunting in pain as the Strike launched into the air, thrusters ignited under its feet and back. The _Archangel _nimbly swooped around, opening a hatch in its right leg for the strike to land.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Inside the watching GINN High Maneuver, Rau Le Creuset took off his helmet and rubbed his chin. After a moment he took off the mask he always wore and wiped sweat from his face. _Not now,_ he told his body, feeling a familiar pain coming on. Putting the mask back on he sent his GINN roaring off toward the extraction zone.

The nation of Orb, with its policy of allowing Naturals and Coordinators to live together in supposed harmony was an annoying little tumor he wanted removed before it had a chance to grow. No need to get people's hopes set on an idea so fragile as coexistence.

He felt a familiar sensation crawl up his spine. Rau looked to see Mu La Flaga's Moebius Zero approaching from an access way on the other end of the city. He'd need to hurry lest he be drawn into another firefight with Mu.

"I wonder what became of little Athrun and Olor?" He mused. _Well, I suppose not all the boys were up to the task. Pity, I thought well of Athrun. _

"Commander Le Creuset, Yzak's been injured," called Miguel Aimon, "He's furious. If he goes out into battle now with a wounded eye, he could be killed!"

"Tell him to join up with me, I'm starting the guidance beacon. You return to the Vesalius and start the bombardment."

"But Sir, you both will still be-

-that's enough, Miguel. Make sure to blow an opening near our present location. We can escort ourselves out after that. And be sure to aim well, I don't want to have to haunt you."

"Yes, Commander." The link went silent.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"This won't hurt at all, Jane, would you please throw away these bandages," the doctor asked, handing Jane Bowie Murrue's head wrappings.

Jane took the proffered bandages and felt her arm tingle as she beheld the sight of the crusted blotch of dried blood. She tossed it quickly into a waste bin and took a deep breath, wondering how in the world she could flush with embarrassment and be pale at the same time.

"Don't worry about the blood, Dear," the doctor said with an even smile.

"I know it can't hurt me, but I feel so sick when I see it running, or on cloth."

"Blood is harmless, Jane. That is something you should get over quickly I think. What if you started bleeding?"

"I don't mind it at all when it's coming from me, it's just I feel so bad when other people…" Jane shook her head and turned away from the two, unable to stare them in the face. "That's why I like working with machines. They don't bleed, are easy to repair…and all that."

"You're very tender-hearted," Murrue said with a smile, standing up and patting her new bandage, "Thank you. I'm afraid I we aren't properly intruduced." She held out a hand to the doctor, "your name, Sir?"

"I am no solider," laughed the man, wiping his hands on a rag to clean off the blood. "And only the ship's doctor in lieu of the assigned physician, who I do not see hide nor hair of," he looked around the infirmary as if he actually expected the physician in question to suddenly appear.

"I see. Uh, what is your name again?"

"Uh..Frank. Franklin," he said, hesitantly before smiling again, "I'm sorry, I do apologize for my behavior. The boys with me are undergoing psychotherapy, they usually call me Doc from where I come from. I don't get out often and being in a ward environment I never get a chance to use my name."

"I see," Murrue shook his hand and departed, waving at Jane in the corner. "We may have more wounded before the day is out, please if it's not too much trouble…"

"Have no fear, Lieutenant, I will be happy to treat anyone so long as there are injuries, I'm a doctor: that is our pledge." He said in a hushed, reverent voice, holding his hands.

Murrue nodded and walked out.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"So this is the Gundam pilot," Mu La Flaga said, slapping Kira on the back as he stood staring up at the machine's vacant eyes. "You're awfully young. How does Doctor Frankenstein do it to you?"

"Huh?"

Mu stared at him for a moment before getting a closer look at Kira's jeans and black tee shirt. "Sorry," he rubbed his fingers through his hair, "I thought you were one of those dudes," he thumbed at Orga Sabnak and his two compatriots, who were busy working on a trio of Moebius mobile armors. One of them kept stopping to fiddle with a gaming console, much to the displeasure of the other two, who kept yelling at him, particularly the more wild looking of the three, sporting curly lime-green hair and torn jeans.

"Nevermind that. So you piloted the Strike against a ZAFT mobile suit? Without training?"

"Well…I didn't really fight. I reprogrammed the OS before he attacked and the machine did the rest. It was a simple push of the stick." Kira looked away, blushing red as Mu's arm came around for another slap, accompanied by the older pilot's laughter.

"That's rich! You must be a regular ace! Better than me!"

The three teenagers stopped arguing by their fighters and looked over with rapt attention.

"You're not joking about this?" Mu asked, chuckling out the last of his mirth.

Kira didn't say anything, looking away while his face continued to crawl and itch.

"You're a Coordinator, right?" Mu asked, his voice subdued and arms folded.

"Uh-huh," Kira replied, looking up at Mu's chest, not willing to meet the man's eyes and see the hate he was afraid might be there.

Mu smiled disarmingly. "Don't worry about it. Keep it secret and no one will know."

"Sure…" Kira tried to step over to the rail; his left leg gave out and he crumpled to the floor. He felt rather than heard Mu call his name and strong hands lifting him up from the metal mesh floor.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Fascinating, your bone density is roughly twice as dense as a regular human," a calm voice almost murmured Kira back to sleep. "It takes years of grueling martial arts training for a Natural. Good, good you're awake-tell me does this hurt?"

Kira lightly shook his head and glanced over to where the man was feeling his side. For an unsettling moment he was sure the man in the doctor's outfit was molesting him. Then he felt those hands firmly grab hold of one of his ribs, pushing against the skin. "Hurts," he hissed, jerking away.

"Hmm, your pain tolerance is regrettably high. Your body is very heavy, but your muscles count for most of it. Such excellently compacted fibers. I wish I could take samples. Pardon me, Kira, disregard that," the medic moved away, wrist whirring as he scribbled something down on a notepad.

Kira sat up and moved his left arm to touch his head, feeling a tugging he looked down to see an IV feeding him fluids. He groaned as he touched his head, something inside pounding away with a sledge hammer.

"Your superior body offers up superhuman advantages, your father did a great job," the doctor continued, "it has one key weakness," he turned back and stepped over to Kira, holding a set of clothes draped over one arm.

"What's that?" Kira asked, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and feeling a chill touch his bare skin. He looked down to find himself only in his briefs. He shivered, the breeze from an air conditioning duct blowing his way like an open freezer container.

The doctor tossed what looked like an Alliance uniform—neatly folded—beside him, "you must ingest vast amounts of water _and _food. You fainted from total _exhaustion_. Your strength will also wane fast if this continues, as your body falls into a catabolic state each time you overexert yourself. I suggest a high-calorie diet rich in different forms of protein—healthy forms, none of that frozen dinner synthetic mess."

"Is that good?" Kira asked, having never given calorie labels much thought.

"Potentially, if you like fattening foods like Atlantic Federation hamburgers and such. Your body regulates energy usage very well, so you don't need to eat a substantially gigantic amount unless you go a full day without food. What did you have this morning?"

"I…can hardly remember," Kira admitted, that headache continued its assault. He realized the doctor was going to get that out of him regardless how he felt and moaned under his breath, massaging his sore shoulder, a large bruise there the size of a football, reaching all the way over to his collarbone and upper pectoral. He moved his hand away gingerly, the pains from the touch still throbbing, "I think an egg, eggs always filled me up. And some granola cereal. I go through a lot of food but I thought it was because I'm a teenager."

"Eggs are a source of complete amino acids." The doctor complemented, scribbling away on his notepad, "do go on."

"That's…pretty much it," Kira said hesitantly. "I was busy all that morning and then went off with Tolle and Mir to the lab. Then all this happened."

"Are you stupid? A sixteen year old male requires far more nutrient consumption than that, especially a Coordinator," the doctor fumed. "Get dressed, you're part of the military now," he said the word "military" with a shake of his head, "I can't keep you here even though I requested it. You have been unconscious for the better part of ten minutes. We found out how many ships are waiting for us out there, and it's not pretty."

Kira finished belting his trousers and pulled on the undershirt, "Uh, what rank am I supposed to be?"

"You're a drafted recruit all of ten minutes. You don't have a rank." Replied the doctor. "When did you take out the IV?"

"Back then," Kira replied, pointing at the needle dropper now wetting the bed with nutrient.

"There is precious little of that as it is," the doctor snapped, grabbing the IV and cutting the flow with a growl. He turned back at Kira, his blue eyes now hard as rock. "Go, and don't walk around so foppishly."

"Uh," Kira looked down. He walked foppish?

"Back straight, shoulders square. Good. That's much better. Your spine is not meant to form a C shape, but an S."

The doctor turned away and continued scribbling, Kira made his escape while the man's back was turned.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Are you sure you want me to take command of the ship, Natarle?" Murrue asked, looking at the black haired Natarle Badgiruel, "You handled things very well until now." She sat in the _Archangel's _captain's chair, the other woman standing beside her. There were few sounds in the bridge, Paul Neumann and the two volunteer students anxiously waiting to see who would be their acting captain.

"No, you are the senior-most officer here besides Commander La Flaga," she turned to regard Mu, who leaned against the bulkhead casually.

"We've been over this—I'm no ship's captain and while I will do what I can, my place is in the Moebius Zero. We have that thing, the three B-I mean, pilots," he corrected fast for the sake of not dropping an important secret in front of Miriallia and Sai, both of which were working in the CIC pit.

Murrue sighed thankfully, obviously sure he was about to drop the name BCPU. She eyed Mu pointedly.

Mu got the message: The Heliopolis students are going to figure it out eventually. Mu nodded and uncrossed his arms, walking over to get a better view of Murrue's figure. She was quite curvaceous, and that brown hair falling down like a waterfall.

"Something wrong with my bandage, Commander?" Murrue asked, obviously unsure of why he was staring so.

"A-uah, no. No not all," he caught himself in his stuttering. _Come on, get a hold of yourself. You're acting like a school boy, _Mu chided himself. He knew his way with women. _I can't help it, those brown eyes match her hair perfectly. _He found himself lost in them for a time.

"Commander?"

Mu drew himself away quickly just short of reaching down and stroking her cheek—or something. He had the strongest urge to kiss her. "I think we're all getting too worked up about being trapped in here," Mu said. Hands on his hips, "we need to attack while we have the chance. You two kids up for lowering the drawbridge and lifting this siege?"

Sai and Mir just nodded obediently , neither quite happy with what he was saying.

"I still believe there is a better way," Murrue said, staring off into the distance with a thoughtful finger on her chin. It dropped away absently. "Can we not simply negotiate with Commander Le Creuset?"

"It may be our only chance for survival without compromising both Heliopolis and our secret Lohengrin weapons. ZAFT does not have beam weapons currently, but their ion technology is similar and they now have access to three of our Gundams which do possess them. Showing them we have developed something as powerful as the Lohengrin would be very unwise."

"Yes Natarle but what good is secrecy if they capture us and the Strike?"

"That is true enough," Natarle conceded. "I concur that attempting to reach a peaceable conclusion would be in our favor. We still have the Strike, but the pilot can't face three ZAFT Reds. If we had the remaining units 3 and 6 we could even the odds."

"Le Creuset will not negotiate," Mu said firmly, "I will pull rank on this one. If we try to make a deal with the Devil expect to be had. He will be under no obligation to listen with his forces arrayed around us."

"Then we fight our way out with all guns blazing," Murrue asked, steel in her voice.

"Captain, Sir, Ma'am…? There's a GINN and something labeled as the Duel approaching with a third GINN moving at twice the regular speed. They will be within firing range in two minutes.

"Prepare the Igelstellungs for anti-MS fire," Natarle commanded, "ready the helldart missiles and lock onto the HM, it will be Le Creuset's machine—it's the faster one." Natarle turned back to Murrue and Mu, "I suggest we wait somewhere in the city, the buildings will help shield as well as conceal. It would take a fair amount of time for them to root us out. The 8th will arrive shortly to relieve us."

"Sacrifice the city?" Murrue asked, aghast.

"If we don't move fast they might do that anyway," Mu warned. "Rau won't have a hiccup about launching every Cattus he has in order to force us out. If we did that, it would be on his terms as well as the shrapnel cloud's. It may well be Murrue's plan is the only one we have." His mouth hung open for a second, "the Kid is a Coordinator," he admitted. "He can pilot the Strike just as well as those ZAFT Red Coats. Assuming we only have him and the…boys in their Moebius, and me, we can easily break through. Give or take a few dents."

"If Commander La Flaga is for your plan, I can no longer protest," Natarle said, "not if the enemy commnander is going to destroy this colony and us within it."

"The suits are within range of our missiles," Miriallia called.

"I have something else on our scanners, the colony is sustaining significant damage! I think it's already breaking!"

Just then several bright columns of green beam energy erupted from the ground to fizzle out high into the air.

"Beam cannons from the _Laurasia _classes," Murrue observed darkly. "They reequipped them sooner than High Command anticipated—looks like their ion weapons were merely old prototypes for the GINNs."

"No time," Mu said, stepping over to the two high school students, "configure all our weapons, Natarle you're combat commander. Murrue, you focus on ship maneuvers with Neumann and otherwise make my job of "commanding" easier." Mu strode for the door, "I'm giving myself authorization to launch, if that's ok with you two?"

"Go head, Hawk of Endymion," Murrue replied with a smile and shake of her head. "Neumann, take us behind those skyscrapers, we'll prepare the Sledgehammer anti-ship missiles and burst through, there's an old hollow space nearby in the colony wall that won't cause any real structure damage if we aim just right."

"Helldarts away," Sai called. "I think…." He half whispered, still unsure of the control board and what it all did.

The missiles streaked out from the back of the retreating _Archangel's _raised bridge. The orange GINN dashed ahead of the GINN HM and Duel, firing off its Pardus missiles from its legs, blowing away a contingent of the warheads.

The Duel raised a machinegun up and fired away, the white GINN HM unleashing its own barrage of missiles from a launcher.

"Miguel, I told you to retreat and make us an opening!" Le Creuset shouted, his voice uncharacteristically sharp with anger. "Well it matters not at this stage. _ Retreat_. I'm going to pull Yzak back and follow. Hopefully our artillery won't accidentally blow us apart before we can get through a hole."

The Duel rocketed ahead of the slowing GINNs, its pilot roaring across the open channel. "YEAAAAAAAHHHGGH, STRIKE! Come out if you have any sense of courage! I'm still here!" Yzak Joule screamed, tears mixing with the blood oozing from his hastily wrapped bandages, one draped over one eye. Each rise and fall of his chest moved the sharp pieces of plastic and metal embedded into his suit and skin, tickling the edge of his intestines like a dozen long needles. He fought the black spots bulging around his field of vision. _No time to black out...come on. Not yet!_

A rather clean-cut opening in front of him where the dagger pierced his Duel's cockpit let wind rush in to batter his hair, letting it whip about the remnants of his helmet clinging to his head and flightsuit neck piece. "I'll show you how it feels to have your face ripped open!" He screamed again, the Duel surged forward, the air tearing away at the bandage over his eye, numbing the open wound cold. "Come on and bring it!"

Something jerked the Duel , slowing it down. Yzak's left side slammed forward while the right remained tightly secured by the shoulder strap, the other having been severed by the dagger when it plunged in. Yzak wiped blood smear from his lips and nose, at least this was the worst he'd get. One inch lower and the blade would have taken his shoulder off as well as the strap, maybe even his whole head.

"Yzak, I want you to retreat for now, the damage to the Duel far more extensive than you claimed."

"But Commander-I can still"-

-Not in your condition."

"This?" Yzak angrily tightened his bandage, blood oozing the stain bigger, "This is nothing!"

"I was referring to your causticity," Rau returned, a smile in his voice. "We're retreating; back with Miguel. It isn't likely we can do much against something like this Legged Ship anyway, given its ready firepower. I suppose I failed to initiate the attack quite on time. However we obtained three new machines, let's not lose that small victory."

"Yes Sir," Yzak growled as both the GINN and his Duel rocketed away from the _Archangel _ in pursuit of Miguel.

"There, _now _I feel better about running away with my tail between my legs," Miguel laughed, his GINN coming up alongside his two comrades.

"Quiet Miguel," Rau warned. "He's not in a good mood for twitting."

"Oh come on, Yzak may be a whooped dog but he's still got the dignity to make a retreat look decent." Miguel waited for a reply from Yzak.

He did not get one, the wounded pilot kept his eye fixed forward, imaging what it would be like to tear the Strike limb from limb.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"You heard the White Knight," a ZAFT pilot said with a dark grin, shouldering his four anti-ship missiles in their launchers. His GINN's mooneye focused on the colony, numerous holes billowing out vapor. "I'd hate to do this but that colony is a waste of material and air."

Those Orb people were supposed to have Coordinators living there, and that stayed his hand for a few tense seconds despite his blustering words. But he had his orders and carried them through.

The missiles sped off, accompanied shortly after by dozens more and the bright green energy of beam cannons from the warships. Fireballs engulfed the colony in explosions bright enough for the farthest advance scouts of the Alliance 8th fleet to see.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"What's that noise!" Cagalli shouted, fighting the restraints. "Let me go you basta-mfmth," her captor tightened the gag to strangle her needless demands.

"Missiles, they're breaking up the colony for some reason," Athrun Zala replied, settling back into the pilot's seat. The OS for this machine was a living nightmare, totally unable to perform even the most basic of maneuvers when its Phase Shift armor was up. And he couldn't bring the armor down either, or the Aegis Gundam would be crushed like a weak egg shell by all the support girders and other pieces of the colony packed around them. As it stood, the mobile suit's energy was at about 50%.

"Nnngfhf, Npthttpufh!" Cagalli kicked her feet wildly, tried anyway. Athrun had bound those as well, so that she was as trussed up like a victim on a torture rack of some kind to the back of the pilot's seat, which had more room than the Strike or other Gundams thanks to the overall larger cockpit suite.

"Look I don't feel right about this either. It is good news for us though. We'll have the wreckage shifted soon and then we can get out of here."

"GRRRRRFGH-pleh, ah, You worthless coward, tying up a poor, defenseless girl and stealing our mobile suits! When My father hears about this he'll"—Cagalli stopped in mid sentence.

"Your father? That's the second time you mentioned him to me and stopped yourself."

"I won't tell you anything! You'll have to torture me to get so much as his first name out!"

"You _do _look familiar, sort of," Athrun admitted, peering closer at her.

"Watch the eyes you perverted hormone-hyped Coordinator! I'm not telling you anything, so go ahead and shut me up again!"

"That's what I wanted," Athrun growled, slamming back into the chair and pulling on his hair. He was trapped in this machine with a complete maniac excuse for a human being! She wasn't hard on the eyes, kind of. It was hard to get beyond the shrieks of rage and promises of dire retribution at some unspecified later date. And her legs: she had a very intimidating kick that his potentially cracked rib would not forget.

"This is wrong, treating an unarmed civilian like this. You know, I suspected the whole deal at Copernicus was really a Blue Cosmos sham. Now I see it's nothing but the truth!"

"Shut the hell up you know, my father almost died there and he was the delegate from the PLANTS!" Athrun shouted in rage, spinning around like lightning, ready to give her a second blow with his rifle. Not that the effect seemed to be very permanent with this vital spirited girl. "We didn't admit to anything but the circus Blue Cosmos is making of the news media!"

"He could have been killed!" Cagalli returned, voice starting to crack. "My…"

"Your father, who is he? Mine's Patrick Zala, the ZAFT Defense Committee Chairman. There, we're even now, so fess up or be prepared to have another gag in your mouth, and this one significantly more unpleasant," he held up the rifle to extrapolate upon the threat.

"Uzumi," she whispered.

"Speak up," Athrun shouted, tired of dealing with this, he made as if to hit her.

"Uzumi Nara Athha!" Cagalli screamed loud enough for it to ring the whole cockpit like a bell—at least to his throbbing ears.

Athrun lowered his rifle fast, "Uzumi? Nara Athha?"

"Didn't I just scream it at the top of my lungs? What did your parents forget to enhance your deformed ears or something?"

"Someone could use some discipline," Athrun retorted, staring at the Princess of the United Emirates of Orb herself. "What are you doing here? Inspecting your nation's new weapons for your father?"

"No, I came because someone told me they were here. I didn't believe Father would do this."

"I can empathize; I thought Uzumi Nara Athha was a maverick for peace. He always seemed to know what words to say in his speeches that could make people forget about…about _us_…"

"He is-He DID he-he had to know but at the same time," Cagalli turned away quickly, refusing to look back at him, her chest heaving like she'd been through a hard run.

Crying? This girl? Athrun shook his head. He waited, listening to her quiet sobbing until he felt very uncomfortable, like he needed to do something to comfort her. Not daring to make physical contact lest he be assaulted again, Athrun found her newsboy cap and dropped it on her head, looking away awkwardly. "There. Scream into that or something."

Cagalli did, very loudly and furiously. It wasn't until the hat came sailing back at him with saliva from her mouth did he realize she wasn't taking him up on the offer.

"You know what, this is going to be a long wait," he leaned back in his chair, then grumbled and turned around so he could look at Cagalli, not trusting to keep his eyes off her, even if it meant facing her spit mortars. She might slither out of her restraints and throttle him while his guard was down. Again.

"Want some more, _thief?_" Cagalli asked, smiling rakishly as she swirled her tongue about to collect more ammunition.

"Miguel, hurry up and tear this colony apart," Athrun whispered, rubbing his sore throat. He kept his arms steady on his hand gun, daring Cagalli to shoot.

She did.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"What do you mean we can't fight in the Gundams!? We went undercover and all that to steal them," Rusty Mackenzie demanded, raising his fist at Ades, captain of the Vesalius in Le Creuset's absence. "We won't lose them after going through all that trouble!"

"We could use the test on their abilities," Nicol Amalfi added, smiling leadingly up at Ades.

Ades sighed, "Please wait. I for one want the three of you here to help the techs examine what we can before the battle damage. If your weapons are destroyed how will we replace them?"

"I can at least use the Blitz, the mirage colloid will allow me to fight undetected," Nicol said, looking down in disappointment as Ades shook his head and pushed off, floating to the door leading back to the bridge.

Dearka Elseman passed him as the door opened, frowning unhappily, as he grabbed onto a rail to halt his movement, "That go over bad?"

"We can't use the Gundams until the engineers finish," Nicol replied.

"No fair that we can't, that white unit hurt Yzak," Rusty punched his palm and squeezed the fist until his knuckles went white. "We can't let that go, especially since Athrun and Olor aren't back."

"Athrun is fine," Nicol asserted, his eyes flashing. He swallowed, feeling a knot forming in his stomach and work its way up toward his chest. "He will be back."

"Listen Prettyboy," Dearka said, folding his arms, then shook his head at a glare from Rusty and pushed away toward the tan and green Buster Gundam.

"Nicol, you have to be strong for Athrun's sake, regardless if he comes back not," Rusty said, folding his arms. "What will Athrun and Olor think when they get back and find you bawling like a girl?"

"Sorry," Nicol replied, quickly blinking his eyes several times before pushing off. He wanted to be alone, away from all these posturing muscleheads, Dearka especially. So what if he wasn't as big or old as they were? For a bunch of guys older and stronger than he was, physically and mentally, they were sure hung up on his appearance. And they said _he _was the immature one.

He was Nicol Amalfi, fourteen year-old ZAFT pilot and newfound pilot of the Blitz Gundam. He stopped in front of a computer screen and stared at his vague reflection. With the screen darkened to conserve power until a technician happened along to run tests or something, he might have mistook himself for a girl. The brown eyes and girly locks fit the prettyboy image. It didn't help that his body had yet to develop the masculine traits most soldiers aspired to. And really he didn't much care.

_I'm a ZAFT Redcoat like them, aren't I? I earned this uniform. I'm a pianist, too. What can Dearka or Yzak do outside of the battlefield? Athrun, please come back, you're the only one who understands me. _

Nicol continued onto the Blitz, trying to put worries for his friend behind. Athrun was strong, stronger than any of the others. He'd be back, he had to, or he was going to have to show Dearka and Rusty the ins and outs of his wrist-locks. When it came to submission holds, he'd owned every single opponent during training. He flexed the hands, eager to grab a wrist and twist it until he heard bones snap. "Athrun, Olor, you both will be fine," he said aloud to reassure himself.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Kira staggered, pain shooting through his nose at it smacked onto the floor. Rubbing it, he tried to stand only to find himself hurled off the ground. He stayed there, tipping upside down.

He saw the man everyone called Hawk of Endymion moving along a wall rail toward him.

"Commander, what's happened!?"

"Get to your machine," Mu grabbed him by his hurt shoulder—he winced in pain as the hand clamped down on it—"the colony's breaking up, Kid."

"Heliopolis is breaking up?" Kira felt himself go limp.

"Don't pass out on me again," Mu ordered, jerking Kira again.

"Heliopolis, it can't. It can't be!"

"Snap out of it if you don't want to get torn to shreds out there."

* * *

SEED

* * *

"The Strike?" Kira asked, puzzled. "What do you want me to do?"

"Pilot it, stupid," Mu said with a grim frown, he tilted his head, "you're the one who programmed its OS. Those boys over there couldn't get it to work right," he jerked a thumb at the three Moebius pilots. Orga glanced over and sneered at Kira.

"They're supposed to be some of the best," Mu continued, turning Kira's head back around firmly, a finger jabbed into Kira's chest, "You're a Coordinator who's a hell of a good pilot, like it or not."

The ship groaned. Loud bangs from somewhere all too close by made the catwalk beneath Kira's feet rattle.

"Hurry up and go! This is war!"

"Don't I get a say!?" Kira demanded, waving his hand at the strike in desperation. _Heliopolis-home is collapsing. That is not something to just shrug off! They expect me to go out with that happening around me! _

"Maybe, depends on if you get more kills than me." Mu reached forward, grabbed Kira and heaved off toward the Strike, ignoring his protests.

"This isn't right, I'm just a kid!"

"You're a sixteen year old Coordinator, _Kid_. That means you're as old as you need to be to help keep us _alive_," Mu tossed Kira tumbling into the cockpit and tapped a switch beside the hatch, locking it shut.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"I so need to murder him," Orga Sabnak muttered, watching Commander La Flaga dump the Yamato duckling inside the Strike. "That was supposed to be Alastor's unit," he gritted his teeth and turned back to Clotho and Shani, his wingmates. "Come on, we better hurry up before the Doc checks on us." Each boy took out a dark bottle shaped vaguely like a classic coke bottle and drank.

Orga wiped his mouth and stared hatefully at the Strike as its elevator took it up to the launch deck. "Let's tear it up out there, Clotho, Shani. For the others that White Knight killed on the _Brantis_."

"And the chance to prove we're better than some random punk," added Clotho, grinning as he plopped a helmet over his orange hair. "Exterminate!" He pumped the free fist in the air.

"Oh shut up," Shani rasped, the drug inside the bottle now pumping inside his veins. Despite telling Clotho to shut up, a twisted grin worked its way across his face at word "exterminate". "Let's start the culling." He lightly punched Clotho in the head before hopping up the access ladder.

"Yamato, your days in that mobile suit are numbered." Orga swore again, before putting on his own, blue-striped helmet and climbing up to his Moebius.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Expanding amoeba of liquidated metal shined in the light of Cattus missile detonations going off one after another, pieces of colony wall the size of shopping centers peeling off from the shuddering Heliopolis. Fragments danced about in a chaotic frenzy, forcing even the GINNS firing the missiles to pull back.

"That's good enough," Ades said from the Vesalius' bridge. "I certainly hope Rau managed to get through," he said to himself privately. "He's definitely Al, not an ounce of missing audacity."

"Captain!"

Ades jerked his head up. Twin beams tore through the debris, their shining green light vaporizing a large hunk of wreckage. The white form of a warship appeared amidst the flame, white hull flecked with cooling pieces of cherry red metal.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Kira screamed as the Strike slammed into a very large metal object, spinning off into a cloud of smaller detritus while his head still spun. His eyes were feeling very weak and ached like they'd been used as kickballs.

"Head's up, Yamato!" A young man's voice shouted over the com. A Moebius shot passed him, blasting away a molten glob of metal with a huge cannon placed under its main body, spewing pale blue energy from the long barrel. Beads of the orange stuff flying toward the unit disappeared as the gatling on either side of the machine's engine binders opened fire as well.

"Who?" Kira asked of the pilot, banking away from the _Archangel _soaring by, launching two more Moebius. The Zero followed, spinning wildly as it fired with all eight 50mm'ers on its gunbarrel attack pods.

"Kid, that cannon on the Gundam can blow away all this mess, use it!" Mu ordered, dodging and weaving as more projectiles headed their way.

"R-right," Kira looked down at his control board. "How do I do that?"

* * *

SEED

* * *

"The fleet is arrayed right in front of us, not spaced out at all," Murrue noted. "If we use the Lohengrins we can break their formation. It would certainly even the odds in the 8th Fleet's favor."

"Agreed," Natarle replied from the CIC pit. She glanced at Sai, noting his heavy breathing. "Everything alright, Argyle?"

"Nervous, Ma'am. The CIWS units will run out of ammo soon—there's too much debris!"

"Fire helldarts," Natarle ordered at once. "Miriallia, please designate me some targets. Captain Ramius, please do what you think is best. Regardless of regulations your job is to make the difficult decisions if you believe they outweigh the consequences."

"Let's make sure there aren't any survivors left to observe the Lohengrin cannons at all, please ready them. Status of the 8th Fleet?"

"Not sure," Miriallia called. She was just one person! She couldn't keep track of so much going at one time! Especially with training all of twenty minutes or so. "The Eighth Fleet….hailing us!"

"I'll handle it," Murrue said, moving to the communications booth. "This is Captain Murrue Ramius of the _Archangel,_" she said.

"Captain Ramius? Where is Matthias Djibril?"

"Dead I'm afraid," Murrue replied, lowering her voice. "We are engaging the ZAFT taskforce. When their formation breaks please be in position to attack."

"Agreed, we will coordinate with your sortie. Admiral Hoffman wishes you luck."

* * *

SEED

* * *

The _Archangel _ rocketed toward the incoming ZAFT fleet, the blue-hulled Vesalius at their head, its sleek, streamlined design giving it an alien appearance as it fired away with its beam cannons.

The _Archangel _weaved around the blasts, a black Moebius hugging tightly to its hull, firing waves of missiles.

Fire coming from the _Laurasia _class ships moving up beside their flagship scored a hit along the _Archangel's _wingspan, blowing away a junk of armor. Another hit directly against the bridge's armor, everyone inside braced for the searing heat, but the defenses held, albeit burning hot from the blasts.

"Status of the Lohengrin?" Murrue demanded," gritting her teeth as the whole ship shuddered under the impact from a missile to the stern.

"89% and charging," Sai said.

"That's good enough," Natarle decided, "ready to fire, open the hatch!"

"Hatch opening," Sai replied, eyes frantically moving over the screen in an attempt to figure out how exactly he did that. Finding the commands he hit the switch.

Outside, the _Archangel's _right leg opened up just beneath the mobile suit deck, a massive cannon poking out its head, glowing particles massing just within its mouth.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Thanks for that," Miguel Aimon called, his orange GINN now toting a proper Cattus rifle. With this he'd take the Strike for Olor's sake.

Rau's GINN HM rushed by at full thrust, the Duel clutched firmly by one arm, "I'm returning Yzak to the Vesalius. Do your best to destroy that last Gundam. Also, we are withdrawing as soon as we cripple that white vessel. Understood?"

"I won't be left behind," Miguel assured, firing the Cattus at the distant Strike Gundam, which was just now engaging several GINNs.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Commander Mu, I have two shots left with this thing," Kira called, already pulling the trigger for another shot on the Launcher Strike's cannon. A pulsating red beam erupted like a surge of water from a pressure washer, catching both GINNs in his sights quite off guard by its destructive might. Their stray fragments pelted against the Strike's shoulder shield as it pulled back, nearly losing the cannon on a shell flashing by. "A sniper?"

Kira turned back to see the ochre GINN from before, rushing in with a very large bazooka-like weapon. It fired off several more shots, spiraling away as Kira fired a round from his grenade launcher on his right shoulder. The tiny pops of explosions from each grenade poked splinters into Kira's eyes. He quickly reprogrammed the screens to dampen sudden flashes of light, but even then it still hurt. Sensitive vision had a cost, apparently.

"You!" The pilot on the other end of the auxiliary screen thundered, a young man who looked around Kira's own age, "did you kill a soldier trying to get into that?"

The GINN flipped upside down beneath Kira's last cannon blast from the cannon. A warning like bleeped at Kira frantically as a dialogue box on the control panel's main monitored sent heart-stopping words crawling across the screen, [Battery pack reserves dropping] a circle with fifty blocks that all started out green when Kira departed the hanger now were black, save for two thin red rectangles with one quickly becoming a paper-thin line. "Not Good, Commander La Flaga!"

"Last shot?" Miguel asked, roaring up into the Strike's face, sword in both hands.

* * *

SEED

* * *

The _Archangel _deployed its Gottfried beam cannons, the blockish turrets deploying their barrels already hot with energy, firing away to blow four holes into the heart of a _Laurasia _setting up a broadside, taken by complete surprise. The attack was the result of amateur controller Miriallia, who started up the firing sequence too soon, even overriding the block set in place to stop such a risky mistake. If it had fired before the turret rose up from its storage compartment, the whole ship could suffer severe damage.

Luck or Providence was on the _Archangel's _side that day, the timing had been flawless to the last second; the cannons fired away their second shot right away, the left-hand turret focusing on keeping the Vesalius from aiming properly and the other hitting its first target. The two new holes broke the _Laurasia. _It broke apart, most of its crew now dead anyway from the energy and heat bleedoff inundating the ship interior.

The Sledgehammer anti-ship missiles erupted from the _Archangel's _sides, ripping into the Vesalius and taxing its own missile stores when they countered with a wave of their own. Helldarts firing from the relative safety of the ship's rear kept the GINNs swooping down off the ship's hide long enough for the _Archangel _to move to the right of the Vesalius, pointing directly at the heart of the enemy formation.

"Fire!" Natarle and Murrue shouted as one, an awesome column of crimson and white energy flying from the positron cannon. A glowing cloud of devastation erupted up before the advancing _Archangel, _five of the total twelve _Laurasia _class units and their respective GINNs wiped from existence, two blown asunder by the blast and the remaining three from pieces of the downed ships slamming into their engine blocks or hanger decks, setting off the explosives stored within.

Without delay the _Archangel _entered the cloud of debris, several of its Igelstellung CIWS turrets halting their fire as shrapnel embedded itself in their turning mechanisms.

"Wind ship!" Murrue shouted. The _Archangel _ continued forward, now beginning a lazy spin in a clockwise direction, its Gottfrieds firing away at the Vesalius, which had spun about after launching more mobile suits. Its own beam cannons launched blazing green energy bolts, one punching through the _Archangel's _rear wings, two more along its hull, leaving red welts like bullet hulls as the armor quickly tried to absorb the heat.

"Sledgehammers, interdiction directly above us, helldarts below, we'll block their movements," ordered Natarle.

The missiles streaked from their tubes, angling to block the frantic ZAFT ships. The Valiants and Gottfrieds continued to fire away at the remaining vessels, two of which were listing away, leaving expanding trails of smoke.

The _Archangel _shuddered as the enemy beam blasts took their toll, its right engine block going off-line, altering the course of the ship's spin.

"Compensate with the verniers and lower the power of Engine 1," Murrue commanded, "second Lohengrin status!"

"72 percent complete," Sai replied.

"We can't wait any longer," Murrue said, "fire now!"

The second Lohengrin cannon slid from its slot, glowing bright.

The blast erupted with nearly as much light as the first, sweeping into the enemy vessels like a hose across a row of flowers. The _Archangel _had spun a grand total of a hundred and eight degrees when it finished its shot, now beginning to turn its main weapons back upon the Vesalius.

"Ready those cannons for another go," Murrue ordered as she watched the enemy warship level off its main guns and fire in return.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Why do I get stuck with this kind of shit?" Orga demanded, his Moebius now completely removed of his precious beam cannon. "I've got nothing but my gatling now! That's not good enough," he tapped his fingers delicately upon Kuzzey Buskirk's head.

The boy trembled under the taller boy's merciless gaze, "I-Uh, ask Chief Murdock." He whimpered. Orga knocked Kuzzey away and pushed toward his Moebius, which now had some kind of red colored boosters with wings placed between its engine binders.

"Get this to the Strike!" Chief Engineer Murdock called, waving at Orga, "go! Or we'll lose that one too!"

"Yeah, yeah," Orga took another draft of his drug, feeling his muscles quaver with anticipation of another adrenaline flood. Wiping his mouth, Orga hopped into the machine's cockpit.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Kira screamed he flung out the Strike's arm on instinct, the crash a moment later reverberating in his ears like a pair of semi-trucks colliding.

The GINN swooped on by, spinning underneath several rounds thrown up by some linear cannon. Miguel glanced at the sword, now severely bent, and threw it away, taking out the Cattus again to fire at the Strike.

Kira cried out as the Cattus connected directly with the Strike's chest, throwing the machine back and rattling Kira so badly he felt as if a red-hot nail were driving into his bruised shoulder, now severely bruised thanks to the seat harness.

"Turn them off," Kira ordered all the damage alert sirens to shut off-for good. There was no point in them deafening him. An eardrum tearing screech a moments later did just that, the Strike flipping wildly away from another GINN, this one green and now holding up the Strike's damaged arm elbow down as a trophy.

The orange GINN arrived then to snatch away the torn arm, firing another Cattus shot with the remaining hand at Kira. "I'm the Magic Bullet of Dusk!" Miguel shouted, "I've come too far and have too much riding on me, you're giving me the rest of that Gundam!"

Kira gritted his teeth as another shot struck him, the shockwave much closer this time and giving him the feeling of boiling water inside his gut, like it had turned into an electric mixer. He pulled is hands off the controls and gripped his stomach, the other hand going for his mouth to stop the vomit. He threw up into his helmet before his frantic, battle-driven reasoning remembered to lower the helmet visor. He scrunched in his seat, splattered visor touching the control panel.

"This is for you, Bro!" Miguel shouted, bringing down his Cattus and leveling it off at the Gundam's head.

Kira looked passed the vomit at the control panel. The power bar had run dry to a red sliver, and that too disappeared with a long, red flash. [Power supply depleted. Phase Shift Down.]

Outside the cockpit, the Strike's blue and red torso faded to grey. Its white limbs darkening soon afterword like a piece of paper when it soaked.

"That's it! I've done it," Miguel grabbed the Strike's head by one of its horns and started towing fast as possible to the Vesalius.

A Moebius dashed in, a pair of rose-tinted blades of beam energy erupting from its engine binders. Miguel swept to the right, the beams nicking his Pardus missile launchers, one of which ignited from the heat and blew apart his leg. "WHAT?!"

"Heh, not so hot." Shani grinned, his Moebius circling around to fire its linear gun. "You failed to pass the examination, Strike Pilot! This guy's a wuss."

Miguel cursed and fired off his remaining missiles to make sure the enemy didn't repeat its assault, he lined up his last Cattus, waiting for his foe to go into evasive maneuvers with the missiles.

A string of bullets blew away the Cattus, its explosive munitions went off in the GINN's face, blinding Miguel as he and the Strike flew backward. An orange gunbarrel switchbacked like a dragon fly above the explosion, pumping bullets at him from its extended guns.

Two more came in from below, firing in unison as they zigzagged.

"You leave the Squirt alone," Mu warned, the Moebius Zero rocketing passed, two GINNS hot on its tail.

"Even the Hawk of Endymion," Shani said from his Moebius as it rolled down into the two GINNs, its spinning blades carving them to chopped junk. The Moebius slid to the side of a big piece of flaming debris as one of the GINNS blew apart. "You're all so weak it's a wonder the ZAFT don't invade the Earth!"

"Not a good idea to suggest over an open com channel," Mu warned, swinging the MZ around to fire off several shots at Miguel, who threw up Kira as a shield while he backed up with bursts of thrust from the GINN's verniers.

"Eh, I kinda wouldn't mind an invasion on land. I'm much better at gravity fighting than this weightlessness," the Moebius swung around, rolling right from a descending missile, then up again to face the incoming GINN High Maneuver.

"I made it just in time, it seems," Rau called, drawing a broadsword from the GINN's side, mooneye flickering.

"Retreating, thanks Commander," Miguel called, dashing away with the Strike firmly within its grasp.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Let me go!" Kira demanded, slamming his fist on the controls. His cockpit was messy thanks to him taking off the helmet, and the stench enough to wrinkle his nose permanently. "You can't do this!"

"I can and I will. I'd murder you right now, but I think Yzak has better things planned, far more painful things. Prepare yourself Natural."

"I'm a Coordinator, actually," Kira replied, hoping it would do some good. This guy was one too, telling the truth about his genetic enhancement probably would go a long way with a very angry ZAFT pilot, he hoped.

"What?" The pilot on the other end who called himself Dusk Bullet or something or other seemed genuinely shocked. Then came a laugh, "well at least I don't feel so bad now. Better machine and better pilot. So, you know Athrun is that it? Do you know what happened to him? He's a buddy of the others."

"I…I don't know what happened. He should have come out of the hanger to help you. Maybe the OS to his Gundam was worse off than mine."

"Yeah, I hear they were a nightmare. Listen, what the hell are you doing inside that thing? You're supposed to be one of us!"

"Heliopolis is a neutral colony and part of the nation of Orb," Kira replied bitterly, wiping away his control panel, "I was living here away from all this."

"Well the war's heating up, there's nowhere safe for us than in ZAFT," Miguel replied, his face appearing on a screen, "I'm Miguel Aiman," he said. "The Magic Bullet of Dusk. I joined ZAFT because my little brother needs medical help. The Februarius PLANTS are still pro-Natural so I have to pay an arm and a leg. So long as I'm in ZAFT they fit the bill for me instead of a regular salary."

"That's awful nice of them," Kira admitted.

"For a young Coordinator there's no better place to go than ZAFT," Miguel almost repeated, "Which is good since you're almost there! The Vesalius is up ahead," he said cheerily, smiling. "I'll introduce you to the other guys when we arrive. They'll probably want help with their OS."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kira said quickly. "I'm not a soldier! I'm in this because they forced me!"

"That's tough, man. Don't worry, we're not a regular military, really a resistance group even. Stay away from Yzak and you will be all good. And no hard feelings about that, it was us trying to kill you after all…"

"Yeah…um, what's that?"

"What's what?" Miguel turned to see something that _looked _like a Moebius speeding toward them, a red pair of thruster engines with six spiky wing protrusions rushing up to meet them with all its gatling cannons ablaze, ripping a nearby GINN apart.

"It's some kind of new Alliance mobile armor, well not for long anyway," Miguel promised, letting go of the Strike to charge at the incoming vessel, "Be careful! It's probably going to try and destroy you so we don't get the Strike!"

"Hey there, Yamato!" Orga Sabnak's voice called to Kira from another channel, "this is a present from the engineer guy! Don't miss the docking, this is the only chance you got!"

"Docking?" Kira looked down to see a flashing request box playing across his screen. He pressed OK and watched his Launcher pack disengage, falling away from his Gundam's shoulders. The red mass of wings and engines beneath the Moebius flared to life, sending it zipping away from Miguel's sword at the last second.

The pack rocketed toward the Strike even as the Moebius dipped upwards and away, barrelrolling back down to fire its gatling at Miguel, tearing away one if the GINN's arms.

The Strike turned about on its own and let the red pack slam into it, connecting with a click. Inside the cockpit, the screens lit up again and the energy meter lit all fifty green blocks. [Aile Striker Pack enabled.] The screen read, before Phase Shift returned, with a rush of color on the Gundam's armor.

"Kira! You're back up and running, right? Help me out here!" Miguel shouted, a black Moebius rushing in with a volley of missiles, Orga's machine circling around the GINN like a vulture.

"Say your prayers," Orga snickered, aiming at the GINN's back as the missiles streaked in.

"Decimate the Unforgivable!" Clotho shrieked happily from the black Moebius, performing a wild series of rolls as it slalomed through Miguel's rifle fire.

Kira frantically gunned the controls, the Aile's boosters throwing Kira back into his seat as they sent the Strike rushing forward at full power. He glanced through available weapons and drew a beam saber from the back of the Gundam, igniting a long pink blade.

"Stop it!" He shouted at the two Moebius.

Miguel managed to get from between the two Moebius and blow away the missiles with his autocannon, only to run out of bullets seconds later.

Orga slowed down and Clotho ran out of missiles and was forced to dart away from the desperate orange GINN.

"What gives!?" Orga shouted at Kira, aiming at the Strike even though he knew Phase Shift was impervious to such weapons.

"He's one of us!" Miguel shouted in return. "Come on! Athrun's waiting!"

"Here comes the _Archangel,_" called Clotho, zipping around toward the white ship as it raced away from the vengeful Vesalius, smoke trailing from its left engine.

"Kira," Miriallia cried over the com, "support us from behind!"

A gunbarrel popped open its guns and blew a hole through Miguel's GINN. It toppled away, smoke trailing from its open wound.

"Gotcha," Mu whooped, the Moebius Zero dashing passed, aiming for the Vesalius.

"Not so fast," Rau Le Creuset shouted, the white GINN HM approaching with a long trail of exhaust behind it.

Kira felt the world go dark and the Strike's saber arm went limp, deactivating the beam blade. The white machine passed him by unmolested, the two Moebius' unable to even target the swift mobile suit.

"Get him!" Shouted Clotho, ramming the Strike hard. "Come on!"

"Get moving Coordinator before Clotho kamikaze's you!"

"Miguel wasn't like that!" Kira roared over to the orange GINN, looking for any sign that the cockpit survived, "Hey, answer! Miguel!"

"Friends already? Must've been getting chit-chatty with him while you were intertwined in each other's loving arms," Clotho said in an exaggeratedly loving tone, rolling his eyes. "Kill the fucker already!" He roared, sending his Moebius after the Strike, "Orga, pump'im full of lead!"

"With pleasure," the Moebius aimed carefully at the GINN's tattered remnants.

Kira turned away from the GINN, even as he noticed ships passing overhead. He looked up to see dozens of ships with four missile pods or perhaps engine blocks arrayed on their sides like X's, firing up a storm at the Vesalius, which activated counter thrusters and began to reverse course in retreat.

It headed toward the Heliopolis ruins, hoping to find cover. The Moebius Zero and GINN HM wheeled in a furious dance right on its tail, Mu trying to catch the Vesalius' rear thrusters with his gunbarrels.

"Kid, I need help!" Mu shouted, "I'm almost out of ammo!"

"So did Miguel!" Kira shouted, watching Orga Swiss cheese the ochre GINN. "He was out too! Yet you killed him in cold blood for no good reason!"

"How do you-what the heck are you talking about!?" Mu shouted, sounding distracted for obvious reasons. "Get over here!"

"I ought to let you save yourself," Kira muttered, keying off the com, "they're all crazy! What about his brother? That wasn't a propagandist sob story, I could tell just by looking!"

"In case you want to paint yourself a bogey right now with all these _Earth Alliance _ships surrounding your _one _mobile suit, get the fuck out there and save the local ace before Clotho wastes his life to kill you." Orga shouted.

"Hey, I'm not ramming him!"

"You better, you're the expendable one, the Doc even said so!"

"Shut your trap! It's Shani who's the rabbit piss!"

Kira keyed off _that _channel as well, dashing by both of them, aiming for Mu and Rau.

The distance shortened amazingly fast, Kira slowed down as he approached so he wouldn't get himself flung across the cockpit by evasive maneuvers. He brought out the Aile's beam rifle and fired, almost spearing Rau on a shot before he backflipped away and roared upwards on a trail of thrust, firing at the Zero with single-minded determination.

"I must admit this looks like the end of the road, Mu," Rau said with a smile, almost able to sense Mu's triumphant rage as he blew away one of Rau's wing binders, stealing an engine from him. "I can't maneuver now!" Rau called jovially, "go ahead, you better do it! My fleet's gone, Ades is about to be ripped to shreds by the 8th Fleet, and Athrun Zala is dead! What a happy end for little old me, eh Mu?!"

At the last second, the GINN HM spiraled out of the gunbarrel blasts and aimed straight at Kira, surprising him with a quick throw of his rifle, the sword attached as a bayonet on the end ejecting to fire like a spear, knocking the beam rifle from the Strike's hands.

Rau grabbed it and fired thrice, up-down-right, blowing away three gunbarrels. "Whoops, too late," he giggled, kicking the Strike's hand away as it tried to slash him with a beam saber. "Sorry, Child! You should have let Olor take it," he dashed on ahead to the Vesalius, which had turned around to make its final stand. He even let slip the beam rifle for reasons Kira could never imagine, handing over a powerful weapon back to the enemy. "Go no, finish this sin off, Mu, Boy." Rau instructed, voice a murmur.

"We've got them, Kira!" Mu shouted with a crazy laugh. "Fire the rifle, Kira! If that clown wants to die than give it to him!"

"I-I can't," Kira quavered, bringing up the rifle. There were other boys on that blue ship. It looked alien and cold, like something out of a science fiction novel-on the villainous alien side. But all those kids in there were the same age as him, sixteen year olds who were actively doing something about the people who wanted them dead, and possibly for reasons besides, like Miguel and his brother's expensive care. Care that was gone for good. What else would Kira destroy if he helped blast that ship to splinters?

"I can't!"

He looked up at the Vesalius again, tears springing to his eyes.

A pillar of red light fired up behind the blue warship from the depths of the colony. Kira's eyes widened as a metallic, red fist punched through the red-hot wreckage, fingers flying open, releasing pieces of shrapnel caught between the fingers.

"What the devil," Mu asked, moving down beside Kira.

"Oh, so my little soldier boy survived after all," Rau laughed inside the cockpit, whipping off his mask to release the pent-up sweat on his forehead and shaking his chest and sides with laughter. "I've still got the queen. It's not checkmate _yet _MU!" His GINN's mono eye flashed to life as he rocketed toward the Moebius Zero.

Kira watched the hand move closer, then transform abruptly until it became the sulfur-eyed Gundam in the Strike's hanger, its armor now a bloody red, and holding a rifle. Pointed straight at him.

An auxiliary screen popped up, "Kira," a vaguely familiar voice said, deeper and subdued with gravity. "I know you're in there. Throw down your rifle!"

Kira looked up into the emerald eyes of his best friend, each one flashing cold resolve. "Athrun….!"

The Gundam Aegis lowered into attack position and rocketed down, transforming into a grasping hand.


	6. Phase 005 Reunion in the Ruins of Home

**Author's Note: **One of my better chapters, because it is short and concise! I hope I crafted the dynamics well between Athrun and Kira so their dialogue felt natural even after only recently meeting each other again, and not in the best of circumstances.

* * *

-Phase 005-

Reunion in the Ruins of Home

February 4th, CE 70—Heliopolis Battle Zone

"What in the blazes-is that the Aegis?" Mu La Flaga asked, sending the Moebius Zero into a dive away from Rau Le Creuset's incoming white GINN High Maneuver. "Kira, don't get caught in its grasp or it's all over!" Mu yelled, firing his last gunbarrel arcing around Rau.

"Athrun.." Kira muttered, feeling his hands trembling, fighting his will to move the Strike.

"Going for a flanking maneuver, Mu?" Rau asked, grabbing his drifting anti-armor gun, spiraling away from a burst from the gunbarrel. "Funny, I feel like you've tried that tactic before. Oh," he snapped his fingers, "wasn't it at the first battle we ever fought? Over Endymion a few months back? Such wonderful memories, all your wingmates screams as I killed them one by one. Doesn't it feel so nostalgic, Mu?"

"Damn you," Mu strafed right, firing away with his linear cannon, each burning yellow shot barely missing their mark, one or two scratching Rau's paintjob and not much else.

The Vesalius fired its beam cannons, nearly hitting Mu, he jerked to the right in a tight checkmark maneuver, Rau sweeping in with his remaining wing binder, flying in a headache inducing corkscrew. Mu dodged the bullets, most of them. Smoke trailed the orange mobile armor as he zipped into the debris, his gunbarrel trying to cover him from behind and failing.

"That won't work, Mu," Rau said with a sad shake of his head. Poor boy never learned. Was this why Al hated him so much?

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Athrun! Athrun Zala, answer if it's you!" Kira shouted, the Strike picking up its rifle and shooting off toward the incoming Aegis. The crimson hand didn't stop, its fingers splayed wide to ensnare him.

Kira banked away at the last second, the Aegis transforming and warbling as Athrun steadied his aim, rifle arm extended to shoot. It launched a saffron beam blast, Kira his own rose-tinted bolt. Each attack melting shoulder armor and little else.

Kira came away better scathed, for the shoulder armor hit was the one where his arm was missing. "Well!?"

"Get a clue," Athrun retorted, firing three more blasts.

Kira dodged these, frantically fiddling with controls he didn't know how to operate anymore for some reason. Where was the trigger? Why couldn't he press _one_ red button!? Why couldn't he engage the thrusters and dash over to that ugly thing? It wasn't like the Aegis embodied the image of innocence! It was a freaking red hand for God's sake!

"Of course it's me!" Athrun shouted, "Who else would it be?! Do you think a regular ZAFT pilot would _ask _you to stand down? Would know you by name!?"

Kira sent the Strike beneath another beam blast, gasping in horror as the Aegis rushed up and grabbed at him. He strafed right, the Aegis opened its palm, beam cannon mounted at the center of mobile armor's palm firing a long, crimson beam, working toward Kira like a cutting laser.

Kira banked beneath it, then boosted up at the Aegis, firing. The enemy Gundam transformed to its mobile suit mode and returned fire, three successive bolts that chipped away at the Aile pack's wings.

"I'm going to destroy that booster," Athrun muttered, the Aegis rocketing forward again. He glanced down at his energy meter, the black emptiness of darkened squares conquering half the near circle. Another several blocks went from yellow to red just then and vanished, more black, less time to catch Kira before his suit did the same.

"Athrun, this isn't what I want!" Kira shouted, missiles angling in from the Vesalius. An orange gunbarrel appeared, blasting away at them. Kira glanced at the Moebius Zero still playing a game of cat and mouse with the white GINN in the ruins. He had an idea, one where Athrun wouldn't have the immediate advantage.

He dashed below the Vesalius, unable to bring himself to fire upon the warship. The Aegis followed pressing its "fingers" together, reshaping the armor to look like a spear. When Athrun reached the debris belt, he rammed through.

"Come on, Kira, don't make me chase you down," he growled, drawing the fingers back to fire a blast from the powerful Scylla energy cannon, clearing a path to the Strike.

* * *

SEED

* * *

_Yawning as he sat up from the park bench, Kira stretched and looked down at his computer, now darkened in sleep mode. He tapped for it to come back up, muttering to himself about the deadline at school. He hated schoolwork, always so irritating how everyone expected so much, and he could only give a little. He hated art, wasn't very good at it and he always questioned for what purpose drawing doodles on a canvas served. _

"_Nothing, art is worthless," he muttered angrily. He fought back a sob, forced himself to control his tear ducts. This was turning out to be the worst day of his life. He had an assignment he absolutely had to finish or be evicted from the dorm at school that just recently became his only residence, and it was in art. Worse still, his best friend, the closest thing he'd _ever _have to real brother or sibling period was leaving for the PLANTS. Kira wished he could go, but at the same time he despised the thought of living in a Coordinator dense society, where everyone would expect nothing but the absolute best. Maybe he was lazy…and then there was the note he'd received that morning…..why did Athrun have to leave? This was his home, not Aprilius or Junius, or any other PLANT city. He hated Athrun's parents for taking him away now. He wished they'd been the ones to- _

"_-Kira," someone called, running up. "You're still working on that project? It's been over half an hour," Athrun complained, putting his hands in his green trouser pockets and grinning at Kira's ineptitude. "You fell asleep didn't you?"_

"_Hnn. The sun is really nice today," Kira replied, the wind tickling his cheeks and waving his hair in a very distracting manner, for the computer screen was reflecting his face back at him and obscuring the vague imitation of a still life he'd been attempting to draw. _

"_Hah-this is a colony, Kira. The sun's the same every day," Athrun replied._

"_No, I mean the day is nice," Kira replied, brightening his screen. Hair still waved distractingly. He thought of taking out his pocket knife and slicing it off._

"_Come on, you promised we could play ball or tag or something! We don't have much time. I even went ahead and got ice cream," he held up a napkin stained with minty green and waved the pungent herbal scent in his face. "You missed out because you were too busy with your work."_

"_The people here don't get what I go through to do basic art."_

"_Listen, this is the last day we can play together, if we don't hang out now, we never will for years! This could all be solved if you went to Aprilius you know."_

"_Well I can't. My parents don't think it's a good idea."_

"_Well…they're not Coordinators," Athrun replied, shrugging as if that explained and solved everything._

_Kira looked up, the faintest hint of any smile or good humor vanishing into an emotionless mask. "What did you say?"_

"_I said, they aren't Coordinators."_

"_What is _that _supposed to mean?" Kira slapped the laptop shut and stood angrily with hands gripping the computer in a deathgrip, veins popping out on his fingers. _

"_Oh come on Kira, you know what I meant," Athrun replied. "If you let my dad explain to them why you need to be around people like yourself, they'll understand. He's _very _good at convincing people about that kind of stuff, being a teacher and all."_

_Something cracked. Kira looked down at his severely damaged computer. "Look what you did."_

"_You're the one who has a Coordinated grip, not me," Athrun replied with a laugh._

_Kira's eyes narrowed slyly. "I'm going to go tell your mom that you broke my computer," he dashed off, leaving Athrun to stare dumbly. _

_Shaking his head in exasperation, Athrun ran after him, glancing back at the dropped laptop, lying broken in pieces. If he believed in bad omens-and he most certainly did not-he might have thought this was the end of their friendship. Well, all in good humor. Kira would have really punched him if he believed Athrun was responsible for his strangling of the poor machine. He'd done it before._

"_Wait up Kira!" He shouted, pumping his fists as he pounded into the cherry tree forest filling the center of the park. It was Spring here on Heliopolis, the scent of plants budding filled the air. The blossoms waved and broke off in the wind, turning into delicate pink snow to obscure his vision of Kira already a good pace ahead._

_Athrun had Coordinated reflexes and he excelled at running. Kira on the other hand barely ever ran at all unless it was Athrun chasing him, though why this was so Athrun never could figure out. Kira loved to run so much, why did he feel bad about doing it in PE? When everyone at school did laps, he'd jog along as slow as he could manage without getting called out to do pushups or worse, extra laps._

"_Kira, wait up!" Athrun shouted, Kira kept changing direction, kept dodging around the trees like a fox. "I mean it, Kira! Don't make me chase you down!"_

"_I thought you were supposed to be fast," Kira shouted back._

"_I would be if"-He cut himself off to gulp in air and fill his lungs. Exerting himself until his legs burned with pain, he got onto the grey brick path and intercepted Kira when he tried to regain the path. Kira giggled and kept going, sure he could get away from Athrun. Athrun saw his target, a rock nearby. With a kick that had all his momentum behind it, he sent the rock sailing after his friend. Kira heard it coming and halted, saucer-wide eyes following the potentially deadly projectile. _

_Several people nearby gasped at Athrun's attack. It had been a big rock, about the size of a baseball. At the speed with which he'd kicked, a normal kid would be lying on the ground; sobbing if they were still awake. Not Kira, of course. The rocks on Heliopolis were proven not to be anywhere near as thick as his head, for better or worse. Athrun had personally found that out one day previous….And subsequently learned that the reverse was not true, to kira's horror at Athrun lying dazed at his feet after he had reciprocated hitting him with a rather large rock. _

"_I've got you," Athrun panted, stumbling over to Kira. _

_Kira turned, his face twisting as tears started running down his cheeks. _

_Athrun skidded to a stop._

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Is this how you play a game of tag, now? With a giant robot?" Athrun inquired, his Aegis returning to spear mode and rushing straight at the Strike, "Come on, before I have to throw something a lot nastier than a rock!"

"Try, you never could hit the broad side of a barn, stupid," Kira retorted, pulling off several shots with his rifle. [42% energy remaining], Kira looked at the energy meter and mentally cursed, weaving through several thick cables that were used to reinforce the colony's hull. Getting tangled in these would surely slow Athrun down. He kept weaving, using the fact that he had one less limb to worry about to his advantage. Athrun would need to do a lot more than-

-instead of following him into the debris, Athrun just unleashed more Scylla beams, blasting his way through.

"That's cheating!" Kira roared, firing another shot. This one connected, striking the Aegis square at the spearpoint, and doing nothing more than heating up the white armor. "Blast, that didn't go like I wanted," Kira said, laughing nervously as he backed up against the ruins of a house, the threatening spear of the Aegis transforming into its clawed hand form, energy crackling from the Scylla.

"Come on, Kira. Remember how much you liked hugging?" Athrun asked, the flexing claws of the Aegis indicating what kind of "hug" Athrun had in mind.

"No. I hate hugging, even with girls. You know that."

"Eh, must have slipped my mind," Athrun replied.

"What kind of crazy sexual deviants are you Coordinator freaks?!" A female voice demanded angrily from Athrun's end of the transmission.

"Wait, you're the girl from before!" Kira exclaimed, eyes almost popping out of their sockets, "What are you doing inside that hand?"

"It's the Aegi-

-The girl began struggling violently, somehow slipping a leg out of her restraints and kicking at Athrun wildly from around the seat. "I'll distract him, burn the creep!" She shouted.

"What the-how did you get out of handcuffs?!"

"I didn't, they were feet chains," the girl replied, slamming her foot against his neck, "Hurry!"

"Well, he's my best friend…er, was," Kira stuttered, taking in the scene before him. "Uhm…Athrun?"

Athrun turned back to Kira, holding Cagalli's muscular, yet lithe leg close to his side in a hold, her toes visibly strained as every fiber of her fought to reach his head, "Just a sec," he turned around and fought the lioness of a girl back behind the seat, almost getting his throat ripped out as she bit at him.

"PLEASE! He's a rapist! He assaulted me! Blow the thing's arms off! Spear the cannon!" Cagalli pleaded as Athrun finally restrained her again. "Do something!"

"You know, I thought better of you Athrun," Kira said slowly, face reddening. "I mean, I've heard of this kind of stuff happening in war-time and all," he looked away as Cagalli shrieked for him to rip open the cockpit and rescue her from the perverted monster, with several choice words added of course.

"It's not what you think," Athrun said quickly.

"Why do you have a hot girl chained up behind your pilot's seat?"

"She 's a prisoner, an important one!" Athrun retorted. "And if you knew all it took to get her tied down…"

Kira nodded sarcastically. "And what's been keeping you so long? You should have been able to move before me."

"That OS was a monster to reprogram, I'm not as fast as you."

"I get it." Kira said, holding up a hand and waving it. "I take it back, Sai, Tolle. I've been a prude. Have all the sex you want, just don't become rapist soldiers with bondage fetishes."

"She tried to choke me!" Athrun wailed in frustration.

"Served you right for knocking me out and dragging me into your cockpit!" Cagalli shouted.

"Good," Kira said, "you needed to be choked."

"That's it," Athrun roared, the Aegis lunged forward like a trap door spider, clawed fingers wriggling in preparation to snatch. "Come here!"

"I think not," Kira called, dashing around the house, firing through it at the Aegis.

The other Gundam must have dodged, because it tore through the house with the Scylla a second later and an instant after that spun into the Strike in spear mode, throwing Kira back.

Damage alerts indicated the Phase Shift had indeed been penetrated by the Aegis' own Phase Shifted claws, though not enough to breach the cockpit. Yet.

"I'm taking you back! You wanted to be with me and my family again, right?! You're older now, and Heliopolis is ruined!" Athrun lunged a second time, almost catching the Strike by the legs. If Kira had both arms still, he'd have been caught long ago. "Isn't that what you wanted really? The day we left? Remember? I said I'd come back for you and Birdy!"

"Well he's in all this rubble, I didn't manage to take him with me to the lab today," Kira replied firing with his beam rifle, only to launch a bunch of tiny pink pearls that disappeared against the Aegis' red hull. Kira stowed the rifle and drew out his beam saber, angling through a pile of dead cherry trees, their dark leaves flying all about him like ash.

"Shame on you! You realize how much care I put into him!?"

"What kind of conversation_ is_ this!?" Demanded Cagalli. "You're both gay!"

"This isn't the internet," Athrun yelled back at his unwilling passenger. "You don't know our history!"

"We were friends," Kira cried, firing at the red Gundam to force it back. Athrun rolled through the crackling bars, not even touched.

The Aegis opened into a hand and sprouted four beam sabers from its fingers, spinning like a blinder to cut away the Strike's saber, slicing off its left leg as he passed by. "Best friends!"

"Now you're a colony destroyer and a soldier of ZAFT, who went and started a war!"

"That's propaganda!" Athrun shouted, the Aegis charging forward on a second pass, slashing with all four blades, "Give up, at close range you're helpless!"

"Like hell it was faked! I saw the live news reports!"

"It didn't happen that way! I thought the reporter was a Blue Comos"-

-_YOU?!" _Kira shouted, he took a deep breath. "I can't believe it! _You're _the one who shot that reporter?!"

"I can't believe we're even fighting! Come with us Kira, you're not one of them!"

The Strike and Aegis clashed together in a shower of sparks, four blades locked against one. The Strike fired its head-mounted CIWS, systematically blowing away the Aegis' beam saber emitters. The red Gundam retreated, parrying Kira's pursuing thrusts with its claws instead like a wounded squid running from a sperm whale's jaws.

"I'm not one of _you! _You're all killers! We're all dangerous! We can break things in half, run circles around Naturals, and think that's ok! I don't want to fight you, but I don't want to fight _for _you or your dad either!"

"Kira, that's not what I-not what ZAFT is for!"

Stray cherry blossoms from torn trees scattered between the dueling giants.

"That's exactly what it's for!"

The Strike dashed away, power levels dropping significantly, unaware the Aegis was near at zero itself.

The red Gundam however, was not to be undone, it rushed up after the Aile, spearing through the wreckage to transform to mobile suit mode at the end, rifle raised. Kira gasped as the Strike hit a giant junk of ice and went spinning to the side, right into the enemy beam shot, blowing away another leg.

The Aegis halted before the Strike, gun pointed at its dented torso, "Come out. Now!" Athrun's face twisted in the shout, burning dozens of pink blossoms into stray wisps as his saber blazed through the rubble.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"_Oh come on, I've actually hit you with bigger rocks before," Athrun growled. "Oh I'm so sorry!" He said more loudly, hugging Kira, glancing furtively at the very unnerved parents quickly packing up their picnic, the mother already spiriting away her two boys with upmost haste. "It was an accident!"_

_Athrun expected Kira to throw him off in a rage-he'd never been much of a clingy sort-instead Kira buried his head in his friend's shoulders. "Hey, dude, what's gotten into you? Hey, get off!" Athrun pushed Kira off now that the onlookers were assured no heads were split. That proved surprisingly difficult since the other boy had starting hugging him tightly. What was this? He watched in disbelief as Kira sat back like a toddler in a fit and continued sobbing, though more quietly than before. _

"_Kira? What's wrong?" Athrun demanded, now thoroughly spooked. _

_Kira took out a wad of paper and tossed it over. Athrun grabbed it and uncrumpled the letter, noticing it was from the government, social service department or other from the homeland itself. What was this? He read it and his face turned white. His fingers got clammy. He opened his mouth to say something, a strangled croak issued instead._

"_Haruma and Caridad Yamato on December 1__st__….dead? they're dead?" Athrun asked, reading it out loud somehow solidifying the news into an unshakable position in reality. A very immediate and permanent reality for Kira Yamato. _

"_They were adoptive parents, and Dad was always away on business," Kira admitted, sniveling. "I've been away for three years here myself, but that doesn't mean I still don't miss them! I never wanted them to leave! I didn't!"_

"_Kira, I…"_

"_I didn't want them to leave! They didn't care how I felt, they didn't bother at all and now it's goodbye and so long like I never meant anything!" _

"_Kira, that's not what I-_

_-it's exactly what you think!"_

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Ades, release the G-Units!" Rau ordered, ducking under a linear cannon blast and returning fire with his anti-armor rifle, noting that he was almost out of ammunition. He had sixty rounds left, pretty much enough to fire one or maybe two more controlled bursts. That meant really only one good burst. Probably not enough to actually defeat Mu. Not to mention the horde of Moebius units gunning his way, running down each of his remaining ships, which amounted to all of one _Laurasia _and a small transport ship carrying a few high-end explosives, namely missiles. Rau had come with orders to crack Heliopolis apart if need be to get the G-units. Well, now he didn't need those anymore.

"Abandon the _Giuzel _, it won't be any use now. Ades, get us to the other side of Heliopolis. Launch every one you can."

"Are you sure? Right now Rusty's the only one who can-

-The G-units, Ades. We won't give them up without allowing them to defend themselves."

"Yes Sir," Ades replied dourly, the transmission ending.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Aboard the Archangel, Murrue narrowed her eyes as she beheld a familiar figure appear on the Vesalius' catapult launch. "They're launching the Blitz," she warned the bridge crew. "Inform Admiral Hoffman the enemy is retaliating with the Gundams! Expect this one to vanish upon exiting the catapult! It's equipped with Mirage Colloid!"

"That's ridiculous, no machine that size can have a cloaking device," Natarle insisted.

"Well it does," Murrue returned, "watch."

Contrary to her original warning, the Blitz engaged Mirage Colloid before launching, its trajectory now totally unknown.

The next out was the Buster, its two cannons combined and ready to fire a heavy shell encased in plasma, a very deadly anti-ship weapon. Anti-everything really, if it hit. It's range was minimized to about five kilometers before the beam wrappings fizzled out.

"Keep distance from the Buster, it's got a heavy weapon deadly at mid-range!"

At that moment, the Buster launched, followed by a GINN. The two roared straight for the _Archangel _and advancing alliance ships. The Buster fired its cannon, and one of the _Drake _class cracked open like an egg, spewing flame.

Something slammed against the bridge, then again, and again. Murrue cried out and flew from her seat, hitting the deck hard enough to see black spots.

"Surrender and I'll spare your lives," came a young man's voice, no older than sixteen at the most, sounding like it hadn't even cracked yet. Another slam, this time everyone put their hands to their ears to ward off the screech of rending metal.

"There's nothing out there!" Miriallia said frantically, "how are we supposed to hit what we can't see?!"

"Guess," Murrue commanded, "Fire Igelstellungs!"

Sai and Miriallia complied, the turrets swinging around to fire as one.

"Commander La Flaga," Murrue shouted through the com, "we need support!"

"Stop whining, I'll take care of the invisible chicken," Shani Andras' voice called, his Moebius dashing down, beam blades extended.

A yellow speartip thrust through the main monitor shrieking, its point ending a mere hair's breadth above Murrue's head. Then it disappeared, and the Blitz Gundam materialized outside, dashing away just before Shani sliced it in-two with his beam blades.

Birdlime sealant erupted from within the breached wall like toothpaste jetting from a stomped tube, expanding to block the hole. An emergency shutter lowered down to add a more durable wall.

"Thank goodness we were wearing normal suits," Murrue breathed as the emergency sealing hatch finished locking down. No one had been sucked out without warning, a miracle in itself.

"Lookout!"

The Blitz roared back up, firing emerald beam bolts from its shield weapon.

"Evade!" Murrue shouted even as the beams struck the _Archangel_, blowing away several turrets and one striking near the opening created by the Blitz' Gleipnir grappling anchor.

Shani slammed his mobile armor into the Blitz, throwing off its latest shot. "Get your stupid ass away from our ship!" He roared.

"We have to retreat," Murrue ordered Neumann. "Reverse course at once, and keep covering the fleet's advance with our Gottfrieds."

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Impressive firepower," Rusty Mackenzie noted, weaving through a storm of missiles and CIWS fire, his autocannon blazing down one warhead after another. "Tell me again how I wasn't picked for it?"

"I'm better at this than you, I guess?" Dearka replied, firing a wave of missiles from the Buster's shoulder-mounted pods. "Who knows, if it'd been you, you might have ended up dead before you got to the Strike."

"Fat chance, everyone knows I'm the glue," Rusty replied, spearing a Moebius through with his sword before gunning his thrusters, ripping his catch to pieces as he scraped it against a _Drake. _The resulting explosion of the missile stores going off sent the ship listing to the side. Three good rounds of autocannon fire into the ship engines blew the _Drake _to splinters. "Without me this whole team crumbles."

"Don't get conceited," Dearka retorted, firing another blast from his combined rifle, destroying a large _Agamemnon _class vessel by taking out its bridge. The ship started tilting down like it were sinking in an ocean.

"That's good enough, the white one's retreating," Rusty ordered, grabbing the Duel's shoulder. "come on before Commander Mystery Mask leaves us behind like Athrun!"

"Aww, I wanted to get that Legged Ship," Dearka complained, boosting after Rusty. "Who made it retreat?"

"Me," Nicol Amalfi called, disengaging the Blitz' Mirage Colloid. "See, I'm useful."

"No one said you weren't," Rusty replied.

"Yeah, no one-hey!" Dearka cut himself off, pointing at a machine fighting the Strike within the colony, "Is that Unit 3?"

"I think it is! It's Athrun! He's alive!" Nicol gushed, firing a beam gun shot into the air happily.

"I'll be sure to send my condolences after the wedding," Dearka snickered. "It's too bad I have a policy about those kinds of weddings."

"That's enough you two," Rusty interrupted. "Dearka, come on Man. You're as happy as we are and you know it."

"Yeah, sure." Dearka shrugged, eyes half drooping with a sick feeling. "Can we get lost now?"

* * *

SEED

* * *

"_I shouldn't have said all those things," Kira admitted, hanging his head. "Now we wasted the whole day and you're leaving. For good. Will we ever see each other again?"_

"_One day. When you finish technical school, please come visit me and my family. We'll help you get a job in Martius or wherever your field places you," Athrun said with a smile, before it dropped slightly. "That is, if the Atlantic Federation allows Coordinators into the Martius PLANTS by that time. Let's not think about that right now," Athrun fished in his pocket, taking out a small green bird. "It's made of really light metal and plastic, and it's fully capable of sustained flight in-atmosphere, like a real bird. See!" He threw the green and yellow bird robot into the air. It tweeted and swooped up amidst the cherry blossoms, flying around in a circle back to Athrun. _

"_That's incredible!" Kira exclaimed, leaning close. "You're going to make amazing things one day."_

"_Thanks." Athrun held out the robot, "his name is Birdy. I wanted you to have it as a goodbye present, but I should offer it as an apology too," he put the other hand behind his head shyly. _

"_I'm the one who should apologize," Kira took Birdy and cupped him in his palm, holding it gently so he wouldn't accidentally crush it. "Thank you, Athrun. For everything."_

_The cherry blossoms flew passed on a strong wind, "I know," Athrun replied, turning to go. "I'll come back to visit. We'll see each other again, I promise!"_

"_It's a promise then," Kira said, holding out his hand. Athrun shook it and then ran to his mother's waiting car. _

Four years later….

"I'm not getting this at all, Kira!" Athrun slashed at the Strike, which slid behind a piece of rubble. The two continued into the wreckage, now on the other side of the colony, the battle progressing toward them steadily as the Vesalius fled straight through Heliopolis's split shell.

"What is there to get!? I was forced into this! I don't even know why these mobile suits were beneath the school!" Kira turned his head, spying a familiar object floating towards him.

"That doesn't explain why you're in there fighting me like an Alliance pilot while we're running away with our tails between our legs!" Athrun shouted.

"We're fighting in our home, Athrun. MY HOME!" Kira thundered, dashing over to the object; his penthouse, the rest of the apartment torn away and probably stray brick. "This is all your doing!" He screamed, wishing he could cry but only able to muster a furious snarl. A feral rage clawed its way from the center of his soul, reaching out with black, fiery arms, trying to get a hold of his limbs so he would crush everything in sight.

The Aegis rushed over and raised its beam saber, holding it steady. "Just get out, Kira!"

"You didn't shoot me earlier you won't shoot me now!" Kira replied, feeling his lips quavering, he felt like crying. He screamed instead, lashing out with his beam saber, knocking the yellow one back. "Just go away! Don't come back! I didn't want you to come back!"

"Then this is goodbye," Athrun replied, raising the beam saber again, "this time I'm not going to just threaten you, I'm a soldier of ZAFT, forsworn do you understand!"

"An oath's only as good as the thing it's sworn to, colony breaker!" Kira returned.

"Follow that maxim yourself next time then! You're a race traitor!" Athrun grabbed his rifle and brought it up, the targeting reticle falling upon the cockpit of the Strike. A little green bird floated up in front of it, flapping its wings desperately like a person thrashing in water before sinking to drown.

"Birdy?" He asked.

"Let's just stop this, Athrun, please," Kira pleaded, feeling his strength leaving him, the beam saber went off. "I'll go back to my friends on the _Archangel _and make sure they're safe. Maybe you're right. Maybe Blue Cosmos has been keeping the truth from us on this side. I'll find out. I will, but first I have to make sure we all get back to Orb safe. From this…." He looked at his old home. What was the use of taking his stuff from it? It wouldn't survive in his hand with all this wreckage. "I'm going," he took Birdy in his mobile suit's grasp.

The Aegis reached out its hand, as if Athrun wanted them to shake. They hovered in silence, then Kira drew the Strike's fist back to its chest and rocketed away.

Athrun sighed and looked back at the Vesalius, now not far and free of the wreckage, its _Laurasia _escort close behind. The transport carrying the anti-warship missiles blew apart behind them, forcing the Alliance to circumvent the agitated debris.

"Goodbye, Kira. I think we'll definitely see each other again someday. Soon. Promise or not," he whispered, the Aegis' armor fading to grey as its power drained completely.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** So ends the Heliopolis Arc. I hope it has been as much a joy to read as it has been to write. New chapters will be forthcoming when I have time, so in between then please feel free to review and let me know what you readers might like to see in the story. I am always happy to hear suggestions or critiques.


	7. Phase 006 Out of the Frying Pan

-Phase 006-

Out of the Frying Pan…

February 5th Heliopolis Battle Zone

"What was that out there?!" Demanded Mu La Flaga, slamming a fist against the bulkhead. "I might have gotten killed! Do you realize that?"

"He's not fit for the Strike. Let me have it," Clotho Buer begged, floating nearby.

"Get lost, Druggie," Mu warned, spinning on the pilot. "Now."

"Do as Mr. Hawk of Endymion says," Orga Sabnak said, grabbing hold of Clotho and dragging the orange haired pilot away, flailing and complaining loudly with vile obscenities.

"I was mad because you killed Miguel. I didn't even know him…but….he was a friend of Athrun's."

"Back up." Mu ordered, looking like his clinched fists might ram through Kira's skull.

"Athrun was my best friend. Miguel expected me to come back with him, he trusted me right away to save him when the Moebius pilots attacked," he stared up hatefully at Shani Andras, the only one of the trio still in the hanger. The boy glanced over at him with a disinterested look and put in his earphones to his Juke music player, a little white cube dangling about his neck by a long black chord. "None of those guys give a damn, you didn't! Commander La Flaga, he was out of the fight I could have saved him I could have-

-gotten someone else killed on _your _side." Mu interrupted.

"He was one of"-Kira stopped short, looking down.

"I know. The same reason an enemy pilot did the unthinkable and chatted with his enemy. You're both sixteen year old boys who might have been friends otherwise, not to mention Coordinators in a world crawling with people bent on killing or exiling you from Earth itself. And here you were, caught and with a mutual friend between you. He probably thought you were escaping too or wanted to." His voice hinted at a question.

"I told him I was forced." Kira said, meeting Mu's eyes. "That was the truth," he repeated, noticing the unhappy crease in Mu's brows.

"Fair enough," the man said, exhaling. "But you know, I shot him for you. I was afraid he'd try to blow away the Strike."

"He said the same thing," Kira replied, feeling a shiver. "Would you have killed me to keep the Strike from them, knowing a sixteen year old kid had been forced inside like a biological computer?!" Kira shouted at the end, standing up.

Mu hesitated, mouth opening and closing several times, he raised a finger, only to lower it.

"Pathetic. Absolutely," Shani said, flicking his curly lime hair in irritation, "you're expendable. That's what it means to be conscript for military secrets. You saw the Strike so you were forced into service. You'll die the same way to make sure the technology isn't squealed. Got that?"

"That's wrong! You can't expect me to believe the Alliance would approve of this! What if I wasn't a Coordinator?"

"Kira, stop it right now!" Mu ordered, grabbing at the boy.

"Don't you agree?" Kira asked Mu, confused.

"Of course he does. But Alliance High Command don't. Trust me. It don't matter if you're a Coordinator or some unlucky kid who left the basketball locker rooms last and got "drafted" without warning." Shani turned away and floated off, hands in his pockets. "We're all biological interfaces. That's old news, Duckling."

"They are special pilots," Mu said, his face a stone mask, emotionless. "They deserve to get away with talk like that. After all they go through."

"That doesn't give them the right to think of themselves or me that way!" Kira swore, grinding his teeth.

"Yes it does. They think that way because they have to, Kira. You're right that they can't say the same for you, that much is obvious," he pointed at Kira's clenching and unclenching fists.

Kira looked down at his hands and sighed, pulling himself against the railing. "So I'm supposed to be a machine? A killing machine that goes around shooting even though I hate it? Even though it's wrong while I somehow hope good comes of it?"

"Something like that," Mu scratched his head. "I'm no Blue Cosmos or Coordinator hate buff. I've had experiences that make me fear them, sure. My replacement burned the house down and killed my parents in front of me."

"What?" Kira looked up in vexation.

"Sorry, bad memories. Anyway I think you're over thinking it. So one enemy is dead and he happened to be nice and arguably naive, circumstances not withstanding. The good in this is that _we _are alive and you've been given a painful draft of war. It's a lesson."

"That's nice," Kira mumbled.

Mu started to move off, sure his job was done for now. The Kid would learn to get over it. Or betray the _Archangel _and join ZAFT. Mu would have already _been _in ZAFT if he were Kira.

"Miguel had a little brother. He won't have anyone to pay for his treatments now. He wasn't lying, I _could tell,_" Kira snapped his head up, eyes red-rimmed from crying. The campfire Mu saw in those eyes also spoke of a great deal of pent-up outrage at many, many things wrong with the world. "Where was the good in that?" Kira demanded.

_And boy are there a lot of those, _Mu thought dourly with an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Mu floated back and clasped a hand on Kira's shoulder, the one not severely bruised, "I understand you're upset, but that pilot could have been one of those who destroyed the colony, as a matter of fact footage we've collected from the harbor proves as much. He wasn't an innocent kid who joined the football team and got murdered behind the bleachers. He joined ZAFT, good reasons or not, and helped destroy your home. He knew the risks and he paid them, and justly so."

"That sounds like revenge," Kira said.

"Yeah. Because it is. It was also the right thing as far as I'm concerned. Besides, you didn't even know at the time and I did the deed. You really need to stop mulling over other people's responsibilities."

Mu looked at the Gundam, "Speaking of, you're with the Strike for the foreseeable future until we can decide what to do with you. Your friends and yourself technically have to serve until further notice." Mu sighed, "The enemy won't give up, not Rau. He'll hound us until he gets what he wants, probably send the other Gundams after us in a counterstrike when our guard is lowered. Those machines are worlds above the GINN. Think you can help me take four of them?"

"I can pilot the Strike," Kira returned is gaze to the machine, its armor pale grey. "I'll keep getting better. After my eyes adjust to piloting instead of peering into a computer or text book like they're used to I'll perform even better."

"I was talking about your willpower. Think you can kill another Miguel?" Mu asked, folding his arms and bumping up against the rail.

"Yes…"

"What if you see your friend out there one day?" Mu asked, it was a very unsavory subject but one he'd been forced to confront with Rau piloting at Endymion. Granted, he _relished _the chance to see that maniac dead, but shooting a familiar face changes one's perspective a great deal.

"Athrun is the pilot of the Aegis," Kira returned with a heavy sigh, downcasting his eyes and closing them.

"I see." Mu turned away and started off toward the Moebius.

"Hey, Coordinator Kid, want to help me fix the damage you caused?" Chief Engineer Murdock asked, grinning as he touched down beside Kira, twirling an extra pair of gloves. He whacked them at Kira's shoulder, Kira flinched away instinctively, barely dodging in time.

"Ouch, watch the shoulder," Kira pleaded.

"Bruised from the shoulder straps? You'll toughen up. Now come on, your machine your responsibility to help the poor mechanics fix it. It's the best exercise for sore limbs, good cathartic rewiring. It must be some kind of electrical therapy. Gets the heart pumping," Murdock grabbed Kira and hauled him up to the Strike's right arm stump. "Take a look," he pointed at the blackened upper arm, the ends of dead wires hanging like roasted veins. "_This_"—he happily tapped the metal, leaning over at Kira with an askance eye, "is the _real _cost of battle," he grinned and elbowed Kira, laughing a deep, barrel-chested chuckle. "And it's worse than death!" He handed Kira the gloves. "You're gonna need these."

"Hey..but I.." Kira turned and looked around, the burly mechanic waved as he sped off toward the Moebius units.

Birdy chose that chance to drift down and land on his shoulder. "Budu?" It chirped, head tilted.

"I need to get you back to the room," Kira patted the robot's head, "if Ensign Badgiruel sees you she will confiscate you for sure."

"Bur…"

* * *

SEED

* * *

Jane Bowie skipped back in surprise as the door to the infirmary opened and Orga Sabnak entered, looking sullen. She grabbed the bottle of antiseptic floating in front of her and started to hop out of his way. Orga glanced over at her, quick as lightning grabbed hold of her wrist.

"Hey, you want to read a book with me?" He asked as nicely as he could manage, forcing himself to smile as if he were already reading. He liked reading. It allowed him to explore new worlds he would never get to experience. His current book fascinated him; he'd always wanted to travel the high seas by sail. Sir Francis Drake was quite the character in his opinion, such romantic times. If only he were there, a cabin boy or midshipman or anything really aboard the _Golden Hinde. _"It describes the seagulls and the salty smelling wind so well you'll feel like you were really there," he assured, confused why this weak female struggled so violently. It reminded him of his younger siblings back at Lodonia when they first arrived at the island. They struggled so much that Doc frequently punished them. Very unfortunate, "struggle only results in punishment," he explained, finding his book in a drawer, where the Doc stored the few possessions he allowed of the BCPU pilots, it lay right next to Clotho's old gaming console, currently confiscated as a form of discipline.

"Let go or I'll scream!" Jane cried.

"You are already screaming," Orga replied, wincing at her loud voice. Would you please stop that. No one is here to stop us. The Doc won't mind us reading right now. Don't you want to relax after a battle?"

"No! Why should I care!? The only thing I'm getting out of this horrible time is no homework!"

"This book is not homework," Orga insisted, shaking his head at her bafflement. "There's not a bit of combat analysis, or any other form of regular work. "

"You're insane," Jane shuddered, her face going ashen white. "Doctor Franklin! Doctor!"

"Shut up," Orga hissed, clamping his other hand over her mouth as she continued struggling, even trying to knee him in a particularly vulnerable spot. "If he finds out he'll stop us from reading! I'm not supposed to have the book right now."

"He's going to h-elp you," she said, trying to come up with some reason to soothe his worries. Whatever kind of nutjob this guy was, Doctor Franklin would surely know what to do.

"Help me stop being this way? Listen, he _made _me the way I am! Same with Shani and Clotho. We're all BCPU—whoops. Top secret," he drew her close and wrapped his other arm around her, blocking all movement. Really, were non-Extended women this completely helpless?

"LET GO!" She pleaded, tears starting to bead around her eyes, trying to knee him in the groin continuously, even headbutting her captor in the chest or collarbone.

"Stop that before you knock yourself unconscious," Orga warned, putting his hand around as much of her neck as he could manage in their position and draw her head away before she slammed it into his reinforced sternum again. "There. All better. You shouldn't call for the Doctor like that, he might not like seeing you crying. He _hates _crying."

"He's very kind, he'd help me! You're just a maniac who doesn't want help! What are you doing? Let go!"

"What _am _I doing?" Orga questioned. He admitted, the feel of her pressed against him was unusually pleasant. Normally when a female BCPU did this, it was in an attempt to stop his movements during grappling matches. He was even getting excited. That almost never happened, ever. "I like it. Right, let's start reading," he looked down at Jane again and sighed heavily as he saw her weakening, going limp.

"You're very scared of me aren't you?"

She looked back up with a furious expression, showing she still had some hope of escape yet. That was a good sign, he now saw what the Doc saw in her. Jane nodded in answer to his question, looking like she might try to get away again.

"If you're so afraid of something like me, you won't have to wait long before you're never afraid again."

"What are you talking about?" She demanded.

"The Doc chose you. Or if he hasn't, he's going to."

"Chose? For what?! I'm not helping 'rehabilitate you', you're a freak, you and your brothers!" She thought of twisting away, but surrendered the thought. She doubted her ability to escape his grip right now.

"Right, right it's secret. I forgot," Orga shook his head sadly. "You really are in for a shocker. Now, why don't we read while we still have the time? Once we get back to the Island, you will be far, far too busy and I may never see you again. I wouldn't like that to be honest. You're very—pleasant is the word?—soft to hold, like a pillow on one of these ships. And you're determined, if a bit useless. Don't worry, the Doc will fix that. He is very good at fixing faulty humans."

"Like you," she spat, finally getting enough leverage to strike his stomach. She bit her lip so she wouldn't cry out, it felt like she kicked an oak tree. Knee throbbing, she stopped resisting and patiently waited as Orga flipped open the book and started reading silently to himself. He smiled and his expression changed completely, the sardonic lines on his face fading away and eyes softening to a contented look, as if they were both in some armchair far away from the medical bay.

The change surprised her so that she stared at his features with disbelieving curiosity. "Excuse me, I can't…see the book. What's it about?"

"Hmm? Oh you can't read can you?" He smiled and let go of her as if he'd forgotten that he was holding her there, though one arm remained draped lazily about her shoulder. He brought the book up. "It's about a ship fighting the Spanish for a world of gold. It's exciting. Here, this is where I left off..."

Jane looked at the page and nodded. This was nowhere near the book she'd been expecting him to read.

"AGHAAAAAGHGHG, IAGH," Jane slammed against the wall, vision flickering like a bulb during a power surge.

"Aghgaaah. AGha, it's-t..th..t-dha," Orga struggled in front of her, book floating off to the side, one of its pages ripped off and shredded about him as his hands convulsed with his body in wave after wave of frantic twitching. He bent his hands forward a bit, as if he were trying to pull himself up from an imaginary floor, froth forming on the sides of his mouth, neck corded with enlarging veins that traveled up to his eyes. The eyes reddened as thousands of veins seemed to form, like cracks in a white dam. "AAGHAAAAAAAAAAGghghg, GUhuughggaaaaa. Ghhgauuughaa." He breathed in and out laboriously, chest heaving erratically as the seizures forced air out of his lungs prematurely again and again.

"Orga! Where are you?!" Franklin's voice called, far harsher and firmer than he ever used with Jane. The man in question rounded the corner, holding a brown bottle in one hand. He reached Orga and thrust the bottle into his mouth, squeezing.

Orga choked and gurgled, clawing the air. Franklin floated backward and held out a hand to Jane. "Give him space, he'll be fine after the medication takes hold."

Jane nodded slowly, eyes wide as saucers. She took Franklin's gentle hand and let him lead her out of the bay. The last she saw of Orga was his hands against his chest, like he were trying to hold in his heart from exploding out of his chest.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"This is a hearing now, not a trial so please feel at ease," Admiral Hoffman said, a kindly man with brown hair and mustache, hands clasped in front of him. He sat at his office desk, eying Kira and his friends with a careful eye. One Ms. Karin Macintosh stood off to the side, arms folded and face taciturn.

The girl, Jane Bowie wasn't present, Hoffman had received word from a very important person that Doctor Borander had "Selected her for the Program." In other words she caught the eye of the mad scientist by whatever stroke of ill luck. Her fate was sealed worse than any front-line soldier could even imagine. He cleared his throat, then coughed into his fist, it was his job now to rescue these other kids before Franklin took interest in _them_.

"At this time the Earth Alliance is in a state of military reconstruction in the face of the change over from the United Nations Peace Keeping Taskforce or whatever it is they called us," he laughed, smiling cheerily at the kids. He wanted to break the ice, get them to see he wasn't a cold, merciless creature calculating how useful they'd be as drafted soldiers. Which he technically should be, by all the codes and laws he technically swore to follow. However, he was also the highest ranking officer in the entire EA military. Who was he to answer to when dealing with kids like this?

_Blue Cosmos. Muruta Azrael, its leader. Technically Frankenstein Franklin, but he I will not answer to so help me God, though all three of them are more or less of the same mind and heart. _It was true, Franklin Borander, the head of the BCPU Project, Muruta Azrael, and his Blue Cosmos formed a sort of evil trinity within the federation of nations that formed the EA.

"The simple crux of the matter quite bluntly is you kids are here and Heliopolis is out there-like that," he gestured at the ruins of the colony, trying to keep in mind that this was their former home he was talking about. "Heliopolis has-was a focal point of our operations. The Gundams and the _Archangel,_ you have all I'm sure been acquainted with by now. That is of course a near total breach in security and thusly presents a very big problem. Especially in the case of Mr. Yamato who has not only piloted the GAT 5 but also reprogrammed the bloody thing. We can't let go of any of you so soon with ZAFT preparing for a major offensive and our own forces doing likewise."

"Are you going to make us serve aboard the _Archangel _then?" Sai Argyle asked.

"Well, we want you to continue what you were doing during the battle."

Sai looked askance at the admiral and raised an eyebrow, "that is..?"

Hoffman inclined his head, "defend your families. The survivors are all ready to be sent to Space Fortress Artemis. It's spanking-new Lightwave Barrier can block out any ZAFT taskforce looking to steal the Strike and _Archangel. _The housing there is for military personnel true _but _Artemis was once a mining installation and still holds the capacity to support a vast number of colonists."

Flay Allster raised a hand, "Sir, what about seeking refuge on another Colony?"

Hoffman's face darkened, and he clasped his hands in front of him. "I am afraid that there are complications. Many colonies are in upheaval as Blue Cosmos attacks escalate against Coordinator presences there. At the same time, many PLANTS are expunging their Natural residents. Furthermore…"

"Admiral, please remember the sensitivity of this information," an aide said beside the desk.

Hoffman closed his eyes, thinking deep for a moment. Even he fought the urge to shudder at the idea of what Intelligence uncovered. "We have reason to believe that is unwise and dangerous until the situation settles significantly. To be honest with all you kids here, I even received this," he slapped a white envelope with a letter still inside upon his table, "from our very own Vice Foreign Minister to make sure Ms. Allster here gets to Earth safely. With Yggdrasil Spaceport under constant scrutiny by enemy scouts we don't want to take chances with _any _civilians going that way."

Flay scowled and crossed her arms, focusing upon her father's letter. _In other words, the Earth Alliance simply wants the giant spaceport for the military's sole use. That will make it a target for ZAFT more than anything. I doubt the Atlantic Federation's _precious _Martius or November PLANTs will be kept from sending down their goods through Yggdrasil. They're a bunch of selfish hogs, all of them. _

"...since Yggdrasil is not available the best solution is to allow the Orb space fleet to handle Heliopolian transport through Ame-No-Mihashira space station," Hoffman finished.

"That is on the other side of the planet!" Flay protested, unable to stay quiet, she stepped forward, brushing Sai's hand away. "My father is being overprotective. There is no reason why we can't make a B-line for the superstation. We can get to Orb in less than three days."

"Yggdrasil is also an Atlantic Federation and Blue Cosmos nexus in all but name," Hoffman replied with a gruff snort. "There is a high concentration of Coordinators within Orb's populace. They would be picked off in security and deported to you don't-want-to-know-where." His voice took a peculiar, detached quality that sounded positively chilling.

Kira closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steady the jump in his pulse. He would have to shake George Allster's hand when he met the man.

"That was a close one for you," Tolle whispered.

Kira merely nodded.

"So…we're on our way to Artemis."

"It seems so," Kira whispered back. _And when we get there, it's goodbye to this whole thing and we can get back to our lives. No more Athrun. No more ZAFT. And no more Strike, _he worked his fingers, still tingling from the electrical shocks. Murdock had been understating the positively negative effect electrical work had on the body. Speaking of electrical rewiring, he'd need Sai's help on that.

As the group filed out of the office, Kira explained what he wanted to Tolle. Walking up to Sai, Tolle grinned innocently and slapped him on the back, "hey, Kira said he can let us tinker with the Strike! I rode in it-it was wild! He even said we can help work on it for real, with the OS and electrical rewiring and stuff. Isn't that great?"

"Yes, actually. It looks like our school days are paying off sooner than expected," Sai replied, smiling at Kira. "Are you sure it's ok?" Sai visibly fought the urge to rub his hands eagerly.

"Oh, it's plenty ok. Kira already did some work for the inventor or whatever. Didn't you, Kira?" Tolle asked.

"I bet it was simply fascinating getting a look at its insides, it must be a thousand times more complex than the frame back at the school," Sai said, eyes already glassy.

Kira nodded and smiled. "I'm still tingling. It was a shocker."

Tolle let the two move on ahead while he hung back, unable to stop snickering.

"Kira, what's he attempting to contain his laughter about?" Sai asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I think he's planning to sneak off with Mir while we're busy inspecting the Strike," Kira replied, looking away while he thought of the lie. Which probably _was _a forming idea in the back of Tolle's head right about now.

Sai accepted the ruse and continued on with a discourse about what he expected to find in a machine of that size and purpose. Kira listened, desperately trying to think of a way to make his own escape after Sai got properly acquainted with the Strike.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"I can't believe they're doing this to us," Flay Allster gritted her teeth and made a furious noise, slamming her fists together. "And all for that stupid Coordinator!"

"It is technically for your sake when you put it all into intended context," Miriallia said, taking a sip of her soda. Thankfully the cafeteria here on the _Archangel_ possessed her favorite caffeinated beverages. There was hope of surviving this ordeal yet.

"Please don't remind me," groaned Flay, dropping her head melodramatically upon her hands. She sat up, face returned to a sullen feline expression. "I am going to kill him when we get to Earth. It's always this way with Daddy: Flay, it's for the best! Or, Flay Dear, what would I do without you, My Precious," Flay tilted her head to the side at the last remark, gazing into Miriallia with a single grey blue eye, "My Precioussss…" She sat back and recomposed herself from the Gollum impression, "that's one reason why I wanted to get away from the man. After Mommy died he became obsessed with keeping me safe."

"I think it's nice he loves you so much. Tolle's parents are nice, and I will always love mine also but they probably wouldn't go to such overboard lengths I don't believe. Seeing he's fanatic shows how much your Dad cares for you. It's not a major inconvenience for us and it saved Kira and who knows how many others. Don't beat yourself over this."

"It's him who needs a beating," Flay said, puffing out one cheek and letting it out in a heavy sigh.

"Say, Flay, are you really afraid of Kira that much?"

"Kira, why?" She regarded Mir with careful eyes, "he's been a classmate since high school. Sai likes him."

"That doesn't answer the question."

Flay looked at the ceiling as she leaned her head down on the table and sucked on her straw, trying to get out the last of her soda, she talked with her mouth still around the straw, "I don'tch know about Ki'a, he'sh kinda sshcary," she sat up, "I really don't know you know. He's a Coordinator, and everything. I wouldn't know what to do with a guy like him alone. If he wanted to try something on me there's no stopping him. Coordinators can be enhanced a _lot _you know. I hear there's some kind of breading issue with the higher-end ones, but still that didn't stop them from existing. Like that "Hulk" guy."

"He's unique though."

"Unique enough to be given the nickname formerly touted by a fictional juggernaut," Flay reminded with an acid tone, sounding like she almost spat the word 'tout'. "We all know how amazing Kira is even when he's not training. Don't deny it Mir. The boy could posterchild for a death camp. If someone saw him naked they'd contact Orb's Social Department to investigate why he's anorexic."

"Oh Kira's fine. Actually, I'd be afraid of what he could do if he buffed up. Have you seen what he did to Tolle in a fight once? Tossed him all the way across the room like it was nothing."

"That's exactly my point!" Flay announced loudly. "He could probably punch through a metal plating if he did. Much less human beings. He's a monster programmer, how else could he get that hunk of metal they call a "mobile" suit to move at all? Coordinated Intellect. _That's _what scares me more than anything. I'm a girl, a strong guy is going to overpower me no matter what I do—barring becoming Ms. Olympia or whatever and I won't—that does not bother me so much. It's the brains, Mir."

"I don't follow?" Mir asked, not sure what she was supposed to read from this trail of thought. Flay leaned forward, speaking with that open conviction of a conspirator relaying a secret, her eyes flickering with warning.

"How smart can they be made?" Flay asked. "Tell me Mir, how smart can an average Natural be? Look at all the greatest minds ever created and what they did, like Einstein or even me? What if you gave birth to a Coordinator that embodied a whole host of knowledge into one? What would a Coordinator like that do with such power at their disposal? What about Kira and others like him? Do they think the way we do? Do they all know things that we as simple inferior minds can't grasp?"

"What do you want, Kuzzey? Can't you see I'm in the middle of a deep philosophical debate about the nature of Humanity's potential?" Demanded Flay, whipping her head around to the dark haired boy, who held up his hands defensively.

"Can I-uh, get a drink?"

"Sure, there's dozens to choose from. This cafeteria is really stocked up well," Miriallia replied, sipping up the last of hers after she spoke. _Thank goodness for that distraction. Flay is seriously overthinking this Coordinator business. _

"You mean Mess."

"What? I didn't make a mess."

"No, the ship's 'cafeteria' is called a mess, or mess hall," Kuzzey explained. "You uh, didn't know that?"

"That's a stupid name," Flay said, shaking her head.

"You got that right. Who wants to call their cafeteria a 'mess'? What were sailors like in the olden days?"

"Hedonists who sailed on the ocean waves, raping, plundering, and sometimes crucifying in the case of Henry Morgan," Jane Bowie said stoically, drifting into the room like a corpse.

Kuzzey turned around and joined the other two girls in their mildly surprised stare at the newcomer. "Did something happen in the medical bay?" Kuzzey asked, wincing at the idea of blood and guts flying everywhere.

"No. Just Orga falling into a seizure, and then the Doctor asking me to read a new book with him called _Plunderers of the Seven Seas, _which turned out to be about all sorts of black-hearted and bearded madmen running unmolested throughout the world's oceans way back before they did it out here in space," she pulled herself into a chair at the end of the girls' table and drew herself up, clasping her hands.

"And I was forced to read continually and didn't get a chance to rest my eyes or even join the meeting with that Admiral," she finished in her dead voice, eyes staring blood-shot at her motionless hands, as if reading the ghost of the book's pages. "Tell me, what is to be done with us?"

Miriallia and Flay both exchanged glances. "Well, we were just discussing that, kinda," Mir said, eyes darting accusingly at Flay, "before the subject of Coordinators intervened. We are going to Artemis with the others from Heliopolis. Orb's military will come for us there they said."

"I see. And this will take time?"

"Unfortunately, it will take quite the long while," Flay said in a seesaw voice, dipping her head up on the high notes. She wrapped her arms about her and scowled, brows scrunching, "It's all my Daddy's fault for being such a worrywart. I'm sorry for what it's worth, Jane."

"No worries. I'll just invest in spectacles when I get to Orb."

"You sound awful, strange. Did something else happen, Jane?" Mir asked in concern.

"Yeah, you look kind of…vacant," Kuzzey noted.

"Oh? Is that so?" Jane blinked, shaking her golden head, "sorry, I was just thinking about Orga. He's…not right. I mean we knew that when the Doctor brought them aboard, but they're trained pilots. Why? That doesn't make sense that there were Moebius' aboard this ship for a trio of mental cases. Does it?"

"I don't know about that," Mir replied, shrugging.

" Maybe they are some kind of test subjects," Kuzzey mumbled half-heartedly.

"You read too many poor fiction novels, Kuzzyuala," Flay growled. The boy slithered to the sidelines again.

"Well, we had better make the best of it until we're attacked again. That's what the Doctor said before telling me to read with Orga after the seizure." Jane yawned, leaning back in the chair. "I hope all of you enjoy your assigned posts more than me. I want to work on the Moebius' or that Strike robot, not help coax Orga out of his schizophrenic fits."

"Wait, why would we be attacked again?" Mir asked, growing concerned. "I know we're supposed to be prepared but there's no way ZAFT would make another go at something they failed to steal the first time. It's not like this ship is that one watch I saw in the store recently; capturing it won't be easy or cost-effective." She looked down at the table, "guess I can forget about that watch now, huh?"

"The _Archangel _helped wipe out a whole fleet, my guess is that it must be pretty high on the hit-list," Flay said.

"It's more than that," Kuzzey interjected, finishing a sip of his drink, "you know what the Admiral said about there being stuff going on in the colonies between Coordinators and Naturals. He even sounded like he wanted to mention something else until his assistant reminded him to keep it secret. ZAFT is planning something big."

Flay's eyes widened for a moment and she looked away.

"What is it?" Mir asked.

"Nothing, I'm going to go ask where I should be assigned. They didn't give me the right uniform either, mine is supposed to be a petite. The one they gave me was a size thirty, it practically falls off," she stood up and pushed off toward the exit, eyes focused on the ground. _Daddy, what's happening? Why didn't you let us go to Yggdrasil? _

She felt very bitter. Not just because his love inconvenienced those around her. She should be gushing for affection, arrogantly boasting , "The Vice Foreign Minister is my father! He kept his position even after the switch from United Nations to Earth Alliance because he was that important!"

"We are aware of this, Ms. Allster. Please be know that that will not stop us from treating you like a regular officer," Natarle Badgiruel said, floating right in front of Flay, with Captain Murrue Ramius right beside her.

"Oh my gosh," Flay clasped a hand to her mouth, "I was talking out loud to myself, please pay me no mind!" She said, bowing quickly in apology.

"What is she doing?" Natarle asked in confusion to Murrue.

"It's a Orb thing, many peoples in East Asia bow instead of handshake or salute, you didn't know that?" Murrue asked.

"I suppose I wasn't thinking about it that way," Natarle admitted, bowing at Flay herself, "Please don't feel so bad, Ms. Allster. I'm sure all of you are nervous about your trip to Artemis. Captain Ramius and I will do everything in our power to train you for any attacks we may encounter along the way."

"Way to go to instill a sense of comfort, Natarle," Murrue said from the corner of her upturned mouth.

Natarle adjusted her position to face Murrue, "I believe the capacity to defend this ship and the refugees following in the convoy is comfort enough, Captain. With all due respect this is a warship, not a nursery."

"Of course. Tell me, Ms. Allster, did you need anything else, we are rather busy."

"Yes. I wanted to know where I can be assigned. During the fighting I was never given one. I also need a smaller uniform, the one they gave me, it is way too large."

"We will get right on it," Murrue promised. "Go see Langinston, she's actually right around the corner."

"I see her, thank you," she bowed politely and floated off to the woman indicated, who was sorting through uniforms in front of a storage closet, muttering to herself.

"Daddy, I will see you soon, right?" _Maybe if you were around more often, I could feel like you actually care for me as a daughter, and not some personal item. Why? If I'm so precious to you, why do you keep me at arm's length? You take a whole colony of refugees out of the way to keep me safe, but miss my birthday…._

That question puzzled Flay for many weeks thereafter. She would not like the answer when it came.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Please be more patient with the controls, Mr. Buskirk," Miriallia said as professionally as she could manage with Eeyor-faced Kuzzey.

"Mir, you can call me Kuzzey," 'Mr. Buskirk' said with a slightly bemused expression.

"You may call him such if you so choose," Natarle Badgiruel said from within the CIC pit. "Please be sure it does not hinder your performance."

Mir nodded and turned back with an exhalation. "Right then. _Kuzzey, _stop whining like a total dork and learn to aim that turret! The whole convoy and the _Archangel _are counting on you."

"Gee, thanks," Kuzzey looked decidedly unthankful as he went back to his task. He was going to fail, and both he and Mir knew it. He was not a gunner, plain and simple. In a harmless sim maybe, but not under real fire, for his own life or anyone else regardless.

He gulped and kept fiddling, trying to put it all out of his mind. He glanced at the empty cmmnications console. "Where is Flay?"

"Don't know. Concentrate will you?"

* * *

SEED

* * *

"My Father's ship is going to meet us at Artemis?" Flay Allster inquired with a partial grin that faded abruptly. "Thank you for informing me, Captain Ramius," She started out of cabin, frowning at Karin and Sai Argyle waiting outside.

"Some word on your father?" Sai asked, folding his arms.

"He'll be at Artemis," Flay replied with a heavy sigh at the inevitable.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes." Flay said with an only half-convincing hug.

Sai stared at her suspiciously. She seemed awfully content now, where did that mask of distaste go to? It was always so hard to read Flay. Half the time he suspected she harbored resentment toward their arranged marriage. Sometimes he detected furrows in her brow that indicated some thought not quite bliss, while other times she was encouraging him when he felt unsure, often times demanding his constant attention, professing her love like Juliet. Perhaps she expected him to know when she acted or was speaking from her heart. One day he planned to talk quietly with her about this, to let her know he was _not _able to see through her acting.

"Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm tired of the rations. And I'll get fat if I do nothing but eat. I have some work to perform on the bridge, they want me to take over the communications operator position. Why didn't they put more capable people aboard instead of us?"

"That's a good question," Sai wondered.

"They probably won't let us leave in the end, you know," she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Well, I might get the chance. They want us to get used to the jobs here so we won't panic so bad when they tear up our discharge papers and laugh."

"We aren't—wait Flay!" Sai gave up yelling for her to come back and pushed after her.

"Leave me alone," she stuck her nose in the air, hand batting away his own. "I have important duties to perform," she went on, still not turning around to face him.

"So be it. I could be working on the Strike," Sai muttered, turning to go his own way. Marriage was not turning out quite how he planned it.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"I apologize for not making time for our meeting sooner, Ms. Macintosh," Murrue Ramius nearly sighed with a smile that looked heavy to maintain from weariness. She inclined her head toward the chair.

"I do not get impatient easily. Thank you for agreeing to meet me, Captain."

"No, it's fine," Murrue replied with a more lighthearted smile. "One teacher to another."

Karin frowned. "You were a teacher?"

"It's true," Murrue admitted with a shrug of her shoulders, "I was a teacher before joining up for the G Weapons project-the fruits of which I am sure you are well acquainted with by now." She spread her hands, "this ship, and its contents-specifically the mobile suit one of your students is currently using to help escort the other Heliopolans to safety."

"That's what I came about," Karin interjected, sagging her shoulders. She raked back some of her brown hair, feeling somewhat uncertain how to proceed, "Thank you for taking care of Kira. I was so sure he'd be lost. I tried to reassure myself but a teacher's student—well, you know how it is."

"Of course," Murrue nodded.

The two women stared at each other, both had brown hair, though Karin's was a good deal darker, leaning toward black. It took only a moment for two like-minded women who loved children to see the same virtues whirling in the eyes of the other.

"You want me to do everything I can to get them off of the_ Archangel _when we dock at Artemis," Murrue laced her fingers before her captain's cap magnetically clamped to the desk and bowed her head. "Believe me I swear I will do everything I can."

"It is not just that," Karin said, staring at the hands and cap and not Murrue. "I really did want to come and thank you for saving Kira. He would have been alright I know, but a part of me that shouldn't still worried me sick."

"He's a special child, isn't he?" Murrue smiled again, this time an affectionate one for the boy in question, tilting her head. "He has a touching personality. He was near to tears after seeing a ZAFT infiltrator shot. Most teenage boys I know in the military wouldn't have been quite that emotional. He still piloted the Gundam to protect us when he had to, though."

"Better than well," Karin half murmured, forgetting Murrue before jerking herself up in mild embarrassment.

Murrue laughed, "Bragging on him? Yes, he's a very good pilot. If ZAFT ever got him under their training program they'd do almost as good a job as Commander La Flaga is right now….Sorry, go on."

Karin took a deep breath and hesitantly raised her eyes to Murrue. She hated dealing with people her own age! She got along well with the kids, because she felt like a mother around them. But even with someone like Murrue, who could have been in that classroom with her if not for that white uniform… "You know…I don't mean about rescuing Kira when I talk about taking care of him, you know. Uhm, thank you for not telling anyone-at High Command I mean."

"Yes, I knew, but please save your thanks for Admiral Hoffman. The decision originally lay with him.. Don't worry, no one here is a Blue Cosmos supporter. Natarle is stern, but she recognizes his talents-even if she is a slightly suspicious. That's why she wants Commander La Flaga to keep an eye on him."

"She's fond of the Hawk," Karin noted, she saw a touch of girlish interest flare up in Murrue. "The Ensign seems to enjoy 'monitoring Kira' when he's training with him."

"He _is _rather handsome. You don't see men with his good looks in the military quite so often-not without _too _much bravado and not enough genuine confidence and modesty. Commander La Flaga has a good sense of both I think, for the right situation, don't you think? Besides," Murrue smiled with a touch of delight, "He _is _cute."

"Um, yes…he is something to look at on this ship, though I don't think we're short of handsome young men here."

Murrue nodded, but noticed the last remark seemed a desperate attempt to direct attention from the Commander. Something sick, like a very bad memory wriggled beneath Karin's face, twisting it into a queasy frown. She'd need to do some research, to make sure Mu La Flaga hadn't had any rough encounters with her. He was a ladies' man who liked to play stud only for good humor's sake. She didn't think he would do anything to warrant this kind of reaction, and it _was _a reaction. After all, Murrue couldn't stop having fantasies about the man. He was gorgeous, in her opinion. Almost as gorgeous as-she touched her necklace and tried not to think about him. No use bringing up bad memories or she'd end up getting a sick look like Karin. Maybe that was the problem, "Do you already have someone to keep your mind off Mu La Flaga?" She asked with a smile she hoped wasn't that of a busybody.

"No…once-but no." Karin replied haltingly. She had an even worse look now. Murrue sighed.

"Well at least the younger girls here don't have any old flames or lack of handsome young men to admire. Kira is a shy but could be quite the knockout if he tried. I hear the doctor wants him to eat more to help put some weight on him-hopefully the good kind."

Karin seemed to perk up instantly upon the subject rounding back to Kira Yamato. "Oh yes, he could grow quite bulky if he did what the….._doctor _wants….sorry. I just don't like doctors. It's nothing. But with those strange mental cases he is helping tend….."

"Oh? Yes, yes his wards. Those poor boys. Clotho, Orga, and Shani are their names?" Murrue asked, trying to sound casual. She gulped at bringing up the young men of the crew. Those three _mental cases _were supposed to be a secret save for those given clearance to know-and even then not much. That Doctor Borander was partially responsible for these three mysterious BCPU pilots was about all she knew of him. "I know that he is an expert on physical fitness, best let him decide what to assign Kira to eat. He is a Coordinator, he should learn to bring out his full potential."

"I know, only I am worried what people will think when they see how much he can do."

"Speaking of," Murrue raised an eyebrow, "as an Orb teacher you should have his Coordination papers. How enhanced is he. I need to know so we can file him through the checks at Artemis or possibly find a way to get him around them if need be….?

"But Artemis is Eurasian Federation-the Blue cosmos shouldn't have a very big hold there," Karin said, tensing, fingers curling.

Murrue sighed heavily, "Basically only a few hundred thousand or so Blue Cosmos members exist in the Eurasian Federation it's true. Basically a hundred of those are stationed at Artemis. Not to mention that its current commander is from the Equatorial Union, and he is the posterchild there for recruitment. It don't believe it will be an easy thing to get Kira by unnoticed or molested. If you would…?" She held out a tablet, "I should have done this myself, but I am very busy. Being a ship's captain is not a job I was prepared for."

"I'm sorry…I don't think we could pass him through any physical. You know what he is capable of with computers-his body is even more enhanced. He could run laps for hours at school just from the energy drink and some protein bars. His kneecap would probably bruise a doctor testing for reflexes-if Kira didn't floor him from the kick. To be honest, his Coordination papers were never in my possession. I only know that he's basically Coordinated _everywhere._"

"Everywhere?" Murrue asked.

"From his toes to the hair on his head," Karin said, rising. "I will be honest….I am sorry…I don't want to intrude or make demands but I-I cannot allow these students to be hurt by Blue Cosmos, military or not."

"You're very determined. So am I. It's because I care that I want to know. So he's basically a complete Coordinator?"

"Yes. His genes are b"-Karin shut her mouth like a hunter's jaw trap. "If you will excuse me, I had a scheduled counseling session with Kuzzey."

"Of course, it was nice talking to you," Murrue said, somewhat taken aback. "What were you saying about Kira's genes?"

"They are basically the most coveted I'm sure. I mean they're very good. Nevermind. I'm just jealous at his waistline is all-all that junk food he eats and it doesn't do a thing! Imagine."

"I _can't _imagine," Murrue replied with raised eyebrows and a stifled chuckle. "Good day then."

Karin turned away and exited, heaving a heavy sigh as she mentally tore herself to pieces over the end of their conversation. If Murrue did not suspect Karin lied yet, she or someone here soon would. And if they did that….they may even make the other connection with the girl…no!

No that couldn't be allowed. Karin looked back at the closed door and bit her lip until she saw a dot of crimson floating away from her. "I let my tongue slip too much with her because she reminded me of myself," she stopped talking aloud, wringing her hands. _I have to get you out of here before they figure out the connections. It would endanger both of us and your sister too. _

She clinched her fists. Foolishness, she blathered too much, and that loose tongue was going to do more damage than even that Mu La Flaga could do. It wasn't too late. She could get him to ZAFT. Rau and Mu's caustic history drew them to each other like carrion to rotting meat. She resolved herself to make their escape when Rau launched his inevitable attack.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Murrue sat back and started typing on her computer, mildly suspicious and puzzled. Forget Karin's strange reaction about Mu. Murrue herself was still grieving from a painful loss of her own and didn't _want _to think about Mu La Flaga, even if it was a hard thing given the attraction she felt.

Karin seemed eager at first to discuss Kira, but despite her seeming expertise on young Mr. Yamato she locked into paradoxicall secrecy near the end, as if she realized only then how much she revealed.

That thing about the genes….."What _are _his exact Coordination skills? No Coordinator exists who can be enhanced above five or six separate ways. It's not doable without the womb changing the sequences." _Hasn't been done yet, reportedly. _

She started her search in the birth records at Heliopolis-found Kira born on Orb soil and dove into the records there at the Sahaku Medical Institute in the capital city.

"She said from his toes to the hair on his head. That's ridiculous. That look in her eyes said she meant it." Murrue hit the search button, she would learn soon enough…


	8. Phase 007 Into the Fire

-Phase 007-

Into the Fire

February 9th, CE70, ZAFT _Nazca _class the _Vesalius, Lagrange Point 3, nearing Aliot Colony_

Athrun Zala yawned and sat up, stretching in several yoga poses, feeling his tendons straining. It felt distinctly odd to wake up in zero gravity after having spent a day and a night before on Heliopolis.

He dressed quickly and departed the room, noting that Nicol had already gone.

"Good morning, Commander Le Creuset," Athrun saluted as he saw the White Knight floating down the corridors.

Rau fit his motif, wearing the white with black trim commander's uniform. As usual he wore his silver grey mask, a small smile upon his lips common to him during moments of contemplation. Despite his quiet demeanor Rau Le Creuset led an already celebratory career, piloting the first GINN and winning one of the first engagements with Alliance forces over Endymion Crater. He won the Order of the Nebula, a medal issued with him as the premier receiver, yet he did not wear it in public, an act of humility many future owners of the Nebula would probably be expected to follow.

ZAFT's fledgling military built its supports on upright shoulders of men like Commander Creuset , Athrun thought as Rau returned the salute and slowed his flight, drifting slowly by Athrun, curly, golden hair still waving about his mysterious mask.

_Even though I think so highly of him, _Athrun thought with a forced smile to his superior, _I get this edgy feeling around him sometimes. As if he's smirking at everyone behind that mask. But that can't be right, can it?_

"How are you feeling, Athrun?"

"Just fine, Sir. I feel as though I could write the report over again."

"That well, huh?" Rau chuckled lightly, he grinned and glanced down the hall at the blonde girl following a significant distance behind. "I am glad to hear the Princess did no lasting damage to your throat, Athrun."

"The-_her_?" Athrun shivered involuntarily and made sure not to make eye-contact with the approaching Cagalli Yula Athha. "Sir, why is she roaming free? Shouldn't we-

-now," Rau raised a hand, "she's not a lioness. You will find her less violent now that she's unleashed as you might put it. I don't feel overly threatened by one Natural girl with a diplomatic reason for staying civil, now do you? But then," Rau paused in a classic thinking posture, chin between thumb and forefinger, "I wasn't nearly choked to death by her either. Please remain on your best behavior even if she remains hostile, Athrun."

"Of course," Athrun nodded, doing a partial salute before he pushed toward a corridor leading away from Cagalli.

The girl followed him, to his horror, and seemed determined to finish what she started. He picked up his pace, but she managed to quickly catch up to him in the hanger.

"You, you're going down," Cagalli growled, flexing her hands open and close as if she were displaying claws—which those fingernails serving as quite the substitute. "When I return to Orb, my father is going to have you flayed bloody raw, then dragged through the streets naked and in chains!"

"Err, not unless ancient customs of torture are suddenly exempt from essentially all the humanitarian treaties I'm privileged under when in enemy hands. Remember my father isn't exactly a no-name either. I doubt Lord Uzumi would sanction such harsh treatment of a former Orb citizen, disregarding my position in ZAFT."

"Former _Orb _citizen? Now that is blasphemy!" Cagalli raged, a very deadly fire alighting in her eyes. "I shouldn't be surprised that you're not anymore!"

"Yes, well, that is due to the recent policies about my kind and yours not getting along, which is what this whole debacle of a war is all about—which your nation has helped fan into a blaze with its new weapons I might add. Your father will have a lot more answering to do than me, so I suggest you not put him in a worse scenario by complaining about your relatively mild-mannered treatment."

Cagalli growled something about politics doing something anatomically impossible to itself before floating away in a private hurricane of complaints.

"You sure do know how to pick them," Dearka Elseman said dryly from nearby, one hand propped on his hip. "When did you get into the lion-taming business?"

"She turned out to be a useful hostage, that is all that counts," Athrun retorted, floating by Dearka, who spluttered and coughed.

"Sorry," Athrun said with only a mild smile, "poor choice of words."

"I'll say. That bitch would make a terrible uh, um-

-I couldn't agree more. Stay away from her. She chokes."

"I heard," Dearka replied. He turned back to watch Cagalli yell at a engineer floating into her path and felt a slow grin trailing up his face. He rubbed his hands happily, "Now all we need to do is sit back and wait for the fireworks to start."

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Blasted medication," Yzak grumbled, the woozy headache assaulting his vision leaving the corridors a spinning Picasso before his eyes. The pain of his wound refused to abate its intense efforts to peel open his face. "Kira Yamato," he hissed under his breath, voice slurred but becoming more and more its usual masculine, firm, decisive, commanding, regal, and Coordinated tone with each passing moment.

Why, he'd be back to his old self soon enough when the headache cleared out of his system and he stopped that annoying belly grumbling.

"Oh, my poor face," he muttered to his bandaged reflection in the viewport as he sailed along the passage, watching the stars in an attempt to avoid his own image. _If that bastard Yamato realized what beauty he'd marred with that knife…I should kill him face to face after I give him this injury back with my own daggers, assuming they can make any for the Duel. _

His stomach warned him of the price one must pay for activity outside of the med bay and its IV patches. _Yes alright, I'll go already! _He entered the mess and sidled over to the kitchens, to see if there was anything to eat. He'd been given the task as an assistant cook thanks to his mother's ruthless regime as a child, where he learned first-hand the ways of the kitchen. Right now he only wanted to get at the food being prepared for tonight's meal.

He pitied the Natural way of distasteful and doubtlessly unhealthy gruel served aboard their starships. Not so aboard this _Nazca _of ZAFT. This ship had Mikhail Coast, the ship's head surgeon as well as master chief extraordinaire. His Natural father supposedly owned a gigantic fast food chain—McDanial's or something, with its silver D being a trademark. Yzak had no clue if that influenced the white-haired ZAFT officer's Coordinated talents or not when the decision was made to create a Coordinator. It didn't matter really, so long as he made excellent meat buns.

He entered the kitchens and found a fresh batch of the delicious treats waiting on a rack to cool. Wonderful. He reached for the largest one-

-another hand grabbed it at the same time.

"Sorry, this is for the injure-hey! I know you!"

"What of it?" The blonde haired girl demanded.

"You're that prisoner! Get away from my roll! Heck, get out of my kitchen!"

"Nevermind you, get your filthy Coordinator hands off _my _due payment for putting up with you scum."

"Scum!? You're Athrun's whore! Don't insu-

-Don't you _DARE _call me a whore again, especially to that abusive idiot! I'll have him shot for attempted rape and murder-you watch!"

"And _I'll _have _you _boiled in that Le Creuset over there if you don't..let..go"-

-The bun ripped in half, both Yzak and Cagalli flying back like repelling magnets.

"DAMN YOU!"

"THAT"S IT! IT I TELL YOU! WHERE'S THE DAMN CREUSET!?"

"Right here, Yzak, no need to shout," Commander _Rau _Le Creuset replied, one arm akimbo and a bemused look on his-well lower face at least-and not a happy look either judging by his voice. "Tell me, do you usually consider my name a profanity or is that a mere side-effect of medical sedation?"

"The-the bun," Cagalli wailed, holding her half in complete disbelief. She took several bites of the sweet pork, and made an ok sign with her thumb and forefinger, "it tastes wonderful at least. Now get that walking mummy back to the morgue before I kill him a second time."

"Ouch," Rau said, wincing behind his mask.

"I'll get you in a minute _whore," _Yzak snarled, he turned to regard his commander, saluting in apology, "I meant the cooking utensil, not yourself, Commander," he pointed at the silver crock pot on a table. "I meant to boil her potato head in it," he leered back at her, grabbing the other half of the bun without looking and munching on it meaningfully at her.

"I see, and still intend to it seems," chuckled Rau, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Please refrain from making unnecessary enemies, Princess Cagalli," he asked with a pleasant smile. "Yzak is high-strung at all times, especially now that he is injured."

"Injured? He got some scratch on his face or something, needs that doctor of his to kiss it and mwake et bedder?" Cagalli asked, puckering her lips and talking like she would to a little babe.

"I'll show you 'scratch'," Yzak intoned, ripping off his head wrappings that Cagalli harkened to some mummy.

Cagalli gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. A jagged, black line of stitching worked its way up Yzak's face, dark spikes punching out of red, crusted blood with pink edges from severe burns. "I apologize," she closed her mouth to keep herself from saying more, such as how he looked more like Frankenstein's monster than a mummy. But that would give this Yzak the wrong impression about her remark.

"Don't patronize her, either, Yzak," Rau ordered calmly, moving to grab a bun of his own, sniffing deeply, "Now, if you both encounter this unfortunate debacle again, let this serve as a good example of how to solve the crises," he peeled the bun apart expertly and let one drift over to Yzak, "return this to Mikhail, he wanted to taste how they turned out." He bit into the other and started to float out of the kitchen. One crisis averted.

Outside, he turned to see Dearka with his ear to the shutter covering off the buffet, looking thoroughly disgusted.

"Pardon, did I spoil your fun?" Rau inquired.

Dearka laughed and straightened, rubbing the back of his hair, "No. There's bound to be another attempted murder with them both on board."

"Good, which is why you are now in charge of keeping Princess Athha safe and unmolested."

"What?" Dearka stopped grinning boyishly as his face turned sour.

"I am sorry, did I not make myself clear?"

"Bu-but she'll kill me!"

"Not if you attempt to be a mature, capable gentleman for once, Dearka," Rau returned tersely, floating away by a tap on the white deck.

"Yes, Commander Le Creuset," Dearka sighed, drooping his head. He started rubbing his hands the moment his commander left the mess. Oh this couldn't be better if Rau had _asked _him to cause trouble.

"Finally, something interesting is going to spiff up this brooding warship!"

"Excuse me, could you please get this walking mummy off my back?" Cagalli asked, standing right beside him, one eyebrow quirked. "Or are you too busy….wringing your hands?"

"Oh, uhm," he thumbed at an ensconced hand sanitizer, "I was just washing my hands-tooo give you a handshake!" He rubbed the back of his head, proffering one deeply tanned hand, "pleased to make your acquaintance," he said in his most deep and gentlemanly voice, remembering to bow politely.

"Sure…" Cagalli shook, his grip was awfully limp. "You need to assert yourself more, don't be another weakling, please," she sniffed, shoeing his hand away. "And do something about that freak in there."

"Oh Athrun's Whore-I have a boiling pot of water and garlic for your potato-esc head!"

"What's happening?" Rusty Mackenzie asked, floating up, "I heard the shouting all the way from the shooting gallery."

"Another obnoxious teenager with unnatural features," Cagalli mumbled to herself, eyes drooping as Dearka circled her from behind, taking in her figure while he believed her otherwise preoccupied.

"A pretty features, I hope," Rusty said, smiling lopsidedly, "but that is your choice to bestow compliments on humble pilots like us. Rusty Mackenzie," he stepped forward and offered his hand, "it is an honor to meet someone such as yourself."

"I'm not interested," Cagalli said, pushing by the Coordinator. "You have the same scent about you as those other three."

"Oh," Rusty sighed. "So much for that. I guess she really is Athrun's girl," he winked at Dearka.

"What did you say?" Cagalli turned back, fists now clinched, white knuckled.

"Just saying, you've got studs like Dearka and me hovering around you to attend to your every royal whim, yet you hold no interest. That's got to mean _something_. And you did spend a long time with our dear Athrun alone in a confined space…."

"…with handcuffs and garrotes no less," Dearka quipped.

"When I return to the Orb Union, I swear I will have each one of you boiled alive in Mount Hameya's caldera!" Cagalli shrieked, hurrying away from their laughter, determined not to castrate them right now or better yet, boil them ahead of schedule in Scarface's Le Crock pot or whatever he called the boiler.

"I'm beginning to think _you're _not as bad as I thought," she sneered at the man who'd made her life a ruin as she shoved passed him out into the hall.

Athrun stared back in confusion. Then he saw Rusty and Dearka cackling and shook his head with a sigh. "I don't envy the diplomats from ZAFT when they are confronted by Lord Uzumi after he hears what stories his daughter tells him."

"Oh, come on, Athrun. You got your chance with her. Tell us, what was _it _like?" Rusty questioned.

"Painful, especially the part where she nearly managed to kill me."

"Wait, really? I didn't think it was supposed to hurt-

-I mean when she tried to choke me, nothing happened between us. You two wouldn't have done any such thing either and you know it."

"It's true, we're still too well disciplined for that," Rusty admitted, "but really, she's making it easy to jibe at, what with that haughty attitude. And besides, she _does _seem to have unreasonable hatred for you."

"She hates us all," Yzak raged, floating up, "I swear she's Blue Cosmos' postergirl or secret leader!"

"That's possible," Rusty agreed. "I heard some pretty nasty threats coming from the kitchen. What was she threatening to do to you, rip open your face?"

"No, but she looked like she might want to," Yzak returned.

"Where are you going?" Dearka asked Athrun.

"To find Nicol before that 'princess' does. Poor guy will be curled in a ball after she's through."

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Peace and rest at last," Nicol Amalfi sighed happily, letting himself float against the wall near the docking bay. He looked around expecting someone to say something, then sighed again when all the passing mechanics remained staunchly silent. "All that work reprogramming the Gundams for combat and not a single thank you."

"They're all so base, so crude, slanderous, and conniving!" Cagalli muttered, rounding the corner.

"I wish I grow several inches over them, then see what they think."

"…when I punch their empty skulls open!"

Nicol turned at the seething growl and collided face first with Cagalli. Both tumbled backwards, Nicol regaining his center of balance more quickly, grabbing the rails on the "ceiling". He pushed off and grabbed her hand, helping her to right herself. "Sorry, I didn't see you," he apologized.

"I'll let this one slide, for now," Cagalli replied with a warning laced in.

"I don't believe I have been honored to meet you face to face yet," Nicol said, bowing with his left hand gripping the wall railing for support. "My name is Nicol Amalfi, it is a pleasure to meet Your Highness."

Cagalli raised an eyebrow and returned the bow, then extended her hand. "About time someone started treating me like I deserve," she said, judging his reaction. Nicol only nodded sadly.

"I understand. Those brainless individuals you were discussing were my teammates?"

"If you mean the _thieves _that stole my country's mobile suits and _destroyed _Heliopolis, than YES!" Cagalli shouted at the end, working herself up into a rage. She gripped his hand tighter and tighter until she heard him gasping and starting to flail. "Sorry," she released his now bruised hand, working her free fingers as if she still had something crushable in their grasp. She looked up with a glint, "I suppose you're responsible as them, aren't you?"

"In a manner, yes I am-but I didn't know we would destroy the colony like that! Honest I didn't. I probably would have forgone the mission, otherwise…." He threw up his hands to ward off the truculent princess, who seemed near ready to grab him again, and Nicol well knew of her ability to choke from Athrun. "Athrun didn't think it would go that far either."

"Don't talk about the Zala, he's going to get the full measure of my wrath when I get to wherever it is you freaks came from. His dear dad too if he comes to the rescue."

"We came from Aprilius PLANT. At least, ZAFT did, the _Vesalius _arrived from Martius two weeks ago."

"Well, you can all go back to Aprilius," Cagalli returned with a scowl, finding it hard to feel altogether too angry at the kid. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," Nicol sighed heavily, scratching his curly hair, "I get that a lot…."

"I see," Cagalli started toward the hangers.

"W-wait, I'll escort you," Nicol offered, floating up beside her.

"I already know my way around, thank you!" Cagalli countered hotly, face flushing, "don't treat me like a child, Child!"

"Sorry, it's the rules you know. With you around the ship so much there's no telling if you might try to escape or not."

"Oh you can tell Captain Maskedman or whatever his name is that I won't be going anywhere! Not until I speak with Chairman Zala about being kidnapped by his sexual deviant of a son!"

Nicol coughed, "I don't know how to put this but...Athrun isn't the kind to do that-

-I know what everyone thinks. And so what? He can't be allowed to get away with that. At the least I want these 'Gundams' or whatever it is Morgenroete named them. You're all finished reverse-engineering them aren't you?"

"Coordinators are fast, Lady Cagalli, but not that fast."

"Well hurry up then."

"I don't think Chairman Zala will even hear out your request, not after we lost so many trying to get them. We even lost Olor and Miguel-they were fellow team members."

Cagalli held her grace by not openly rejoicing in the permanent removal of two more enemy pilots and instead simply nodded her apologies to Nicol's loss. "You must have been close."

"Not…not enough for me to cry over. Olor was always very caustic. Miguel had a younger brother so we never got along too badly, but he always seemed to imprint him on me whenever we were around together; he would not stop urging me to quit before I got killed."

"Sweet, sweet irony," Cagalli mused.

"Something like that." Nicol sighed. "I really wouldn't mind quitting after this, go back to piano practice. I have—had—a friend named Ray. He was always so good at recitals, we'd get together all the time to memorize our pieces together."

"Why not go back? It sounds like Ray was a better friend than these idiots."

Nicol fidgeted, but finally gave in. After all, this Cagalli was a princess, she probably had more clearance to intelligence data than he ever would. "You know why the Earth Alliance has been censuring the news media so much?"

"And doing the best job of it me or Dad have ever seen," Cagalli added. She folded her arms, "what of it?"

"Well…the ZAFT were made so fast to counter this kind of thing-to be a force for Coordinators. We're needed now as a full military. It's bad, Princess Cagalli—worse than bad. Blue Cosmos is part responsible for what happened at Copernicus. We aren't really sure what came of it. It's true that Chairman Zala had GINNs there, but that was to be part of the negotiations. If they hadn't been I don't think he would have made it out alive."

"Then who set the bombs? Why did the GINNs go on a rampage?" Cagalli demanded.

"All I know is that something went wrong, and Bruno Azrael of Blue Cosmos did something with a traitor in our midst-they worked together to set off explosives and then Commander Le Creuset got wind of it and—Well it went badly for Blue Cosmos, but worse for us after the media. Athrun's GINN was the one to accidentally attack the news shuttle-he said he thought it was a terrorist ship. Apparently they disguised themselves as civilian craft and started shelling the city from within. That's why no ZAFT or UN vessels were engaging the MS, it was all done under that sort of cover."

"Where were you?"

"I attended the meetings, but I was a recruit at the time. I graduated two days later and joined up with Athrun and the others. But that's not why I really want to stay. Ever since then, the space colonies have been driving us out in the droves. There are so many that won't accept us anymore. Even some of the PLANTs still very loyal to the Atlantic Federation are refusing us. The news won't show the video feeds unless it has GINNs fighting the colony "defense" forces in 'murderous terrorist strikes'."

"So you're saying that ZAFT is trying to help _defend_ these people while they run? Is Blue Cosmos that organized?"

"It isn't them anymore-and I wish it was because no, they aren't-the colonies themselves are doing it. And they've made it clear on some of them that Blue Cosmos hasn't gone far enough yet to 'fix' the problem." Nicol stared hard at Cagalli. "Am I a problem that needs 'fixing', Cagalli?"

"No," Cagalli replied immediately. "Orb doesn't think that. My father doesn't. You could all have gone to high school in Heliopolis and never been singled out. That's news for you, though. Isn't it?"

"Athrun told me. He's a former Orb Unionist."

"I heard. Former is right. But hey, where will all the Coordinator refugees go?"

"I can't tell you that. Because I really, really don't know. Some are saying that we should hijack some colonies and start out for Mars or Jupiter. Or even further, to the asteroid belt and beyond. Coordinators could survive the conditions without a problem, said George Glenn. And he practically lived the lifestyle. It wouldn't be too bad, most of us would enjoy seeing the gas giants. It would be a chance to learn more about Evidence 01."

"Then why not?" Cagalli asked. "I mean, if so many Coordinators are keen on fulfilling George Glenn's dream for them, why not go and dig up more space whales?"

"The gas carriers used for transporting resources to us from Jupiter are…" Nicol closed his eyes, "run by Azrael Manufacturing. There were a few who set out about a decade or so ago, during the major expulsion of Coordinators from Earth. We haven't heard from them since then."

"You don't mean-

-we suspect they used the gas from Jupiter for something other than industrial work." Nicol replied simply. What else was there to say, repeat Blue Cosmos' motto? "For the sake of our Pure and Blue world?"

"I did not know Blue Cosmos actually had the spine to try something like that."

"When they run the news media in generally every major colony cluster, country, and even PLANT, yes they would. And worse. We're afraid of an even bigger attack on us—an attack directed at the Aprilius PLANT colonies. It's the only cluster of PLANTs that actually operates as an independent and has ZAFT as its defense force. If they chop off the snake's head now, the other PLANTs will be less likely to allow the Coordinator populace to rebel or become influential-forget having them even cluster near each other. The Januarius, Martius, Sextilis, November, and December PLANTs are all by themselves after all. Only the other seven actually remain in their Month Groupings. For instance, we are near one of the Februarius Dates right now."

"That might be for the best you know," Cagalli said, stopping on the catwalk as she and Nicol looked up into the Blitz Gundam's foreboding grey face, "if you all gather the PLANTs into those Month Groups, or even took them from different Lagrange Points to form a single colony cluster, it would be removing the only real advantage the PLANTs ."

"What's that?"

She turned to stare Nicol in the eye for a long moment, "dividing up Blue Cosmos' attention. Together, you're all just one _big _target."

Klaxons blared, and Captain Ades' voice barked over the loudspeaker, "Level One combat alert! All pilots to your machines, we have trouble at the Aliot Colony!"


	9. Phase 008 Swarm

-Phase 008-

Swarm

February 9th, CE 70, ZAFT _Nazca _class, the _Vesalius, Aliot Colony_

"Commander!" Athrun cried, speeding into the white, austere bridge. Rau Le Creuset floated in the pristine environment almost like some dapper bird, wearing his white gloves as he ran fingers over the map screen centered in the middle of the room. "Ades, prepare our missile tubes for interdiction duty," he was saying. Rau turned to Athrun, smiling tightly, "are you prepared to play the part of a heroic knight?"

Athrun frowned, Rau caught him as he almost sailed right by and into Ades, pulling the pilot back down on his side of the map. "Thank you. Isn't that your role Sir? Being a knight?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes I suppose," the White Knight laughed. "But today you fit the role more…." His grin turned to a dour frown, "Lacus Clyne was holding a concert on that colony. I fear for her safety in a colony of these ruffians. If she is now a target for the Blue Cosmos on Aliot then she does not have much time." He put his hands on his hips. "Again, do you feel like playing the heroic knight? Your damsel in distress waits to see your shining armor," he gestured grandly at the viewscreen.

Up ahead, fiery flashes blossomed continuously as a battle raged. Athrun made out little on the magnified image save for the innumerable tiny dots of the Mistral mobile armors harrying much larger vessels of varying size and shape. Some wreckage around the colony indicated there had been more of these vessels at one time.

"How are the enemies going about this," Athrun asked, turning his attention belatedly to the tactical map right in front of him, "those seem like an awful lot of Mistrals."

"A Blue Cosmos raid by all figures; they intended that for the concert here to be Ms. Clyne's last, it is the only way to account for the coincidence. Please be careful going out, Athrun," Rau called as the boy sailed for doors. "There are a large number of them. I suggest you make finding Lacus Clyne a priority. If she fell into the hands of Blue Cosmos Chairman Clyne's hands could be tied. I will have Nicol and Rusty, and Mikhail support you, they are the only ones with the delicacy enough for this kind of operation." As Athrun departed to launch, Rau stared back at the screen.

There were quite a few of those enemy forces out there, and to think he'd been ordered to lead the reconnaissance mission on Artemis too…and even the Legged Ship on top of that if he encountered it en route.

"Our plate is full, Ades."

"Of course, Rau," Ades said, using his young master's given name now that they were relatively alone. "Does this affect…." He gave a meaningful look.

"Not at present," Rau returned, "we must rescue Council Chairman Clyne's daughter. Of course, we cannot be expected to jeopardize our reserves with the plunge into Eurasia Federation territory upon us," he crossed his arms and rubbed his chin, "when will our reinforcements arrive?"

"The _Silverwind _reports engine trouble. Comes from being a prototype, they said," Ades returned, reading off of a tablet.

"Yes," Rau drawled, "Well it shows us how much the Martius PLANTs care about ZAFT. We request a heavy assault carrier and receive one hashed up by remodifying a civilian design for that cause."

"Quite the miserable reinforcement, if you ask me," Ades frowned.

"Not quite," Rau replied with a frown, "so long as it serves our ends well I don't care what it was intended for."

"Prep my GINN for launch," he ordered, "I don't expect to need it but we cannot have our new models damaged before we have had time to properly study them. Also…have you contacted the Orb Union territories?"

"Not yet, it seems that Lord Sahaku is ill and cannot be troubled. His children are also unavailable."

"Sounds about like Orb ruling families, all squabbles and medical troubles." Rau chuckled to himself and floated out of the bridge.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Mikhail Coast, wearing his signature off-white and black pilot's suit resettled himself into his cockpit after his GINN High Maneuver balanced out after launching from the catapult. He hefted the anti-armor rifle and fitted on the bayonet. He was next to useless with swordplay, his skills ran in careful scalpel work, so he and generally all concerned thought this fact strange. Perhaps if he encountered proper foes to duel, he might feel better about ripping his enemies to shreds with the bulky GINN sword.

"Mayhaps we can spar each other sometimes, Nicol," Mikhail said to the green haired youth in the Blitz Gundam, which soared nearby in its Mirage Colloid, impossible to see. "You and I both need some good practice for the time when we meet the mass produced Blitz."

"I sincerely hope we do not, Doctor Coast," Nicol returned with a small shake of his head.

"Because we won't see it coming," Rusty added as his GINN soared in between the two, mooneye flashing at the GINN HM. "We probably won't even know it's the Blitz until we ask Old Grim."

"Don't throw my own phrases back on me," warned Mikhail. "I will have you know I will be accompanied by saintly angels for all my hard work trying to keep the rest of humanity from successfully slaughtering each other for dubiously feeble reasons."

"Please give a rousing speech after we do the killing, White Cross," Rusty requested. "Though in this humble pilot's opinion," the Mistral mobile armors came into range-he fired off a steady stream of lead from his autocannon, tearing several of the fragile old mobile armors as they veritably swarmed about the desperate liners.

"They're jamming their transmissions or something," came the communications operator aboard the _Vesalius. _

"Read you, Chandra," Mikhail called, "You boys take care of that _Nelson _behind the fleet, I'm going to try and board those ships-I'd wager my pay they're already inside."

Rusty banked below the nearest ship, catching the eye of several Mistrals, which sure enough did not seem particularly interested in directing their consolidated power on the ships, which could have long destroyed them.

The Mistrals seemed quite taken with him, a whole horde of twenty dashed down, spinning and firing waves of missiles and firepower on his single machine.

That made it much easier for the already undetectable Blitz to slither by their defenses, picking off three with six consecutive shots from its Trikeros beam cannon, blowing molten holes straight through its targets. "I don't suppose I should pity them," Nicol said to himself. He glanced at the _Nelson _as it slowly approached, beam cannons crackling with pent up power just waiting to pick out that mystery target spewing beam fire through the Mistrals.

_If_ the gunners even saw that much, and Nicol doubted it.

The Gleipnir drilled into the _Nelson's _bridge, flashing out the other side like a yellow bullet from grey flesh, wheeling off in a wide arc amidst the frantic CIWS fire—while the Blitz filled the hole with beam fire. Nicol surveyed his work with a touch of self-reproachful pride, and turned the blitz away from the molten fount of metal trailing up from the ruined bridge.

He raised his arm and the Gleipnir reattached with a flash, disappearing like behind a draping black veil.

* * *

SEED

* * *

Mikhail Coast shook his head sadly as he peered around the corner at the aftermath of blue Cosmos' work. He was a field medic true, but the barbarity still got to him. Perhaps deep down it was the prey instinct rising up to show its revulsion. The Blue Cosmos did this because they hated those little twisted corpses floating around that corner, and wanted to see them like that. For him to see them like that, he reminded himself dourly as he hefted his assault rifle and started deeper into the ship. The gun fire no longer echoed now, which meant most of the passengers were either dead or had fought off the terrorists.

"Rusty-Nicol you both better keep this ship safe. There's wounded. This could take me time."

"Understood, we won't let them so much as scratch the hull paint off," Rusty replied with a chuckle.

Mikhail shook his head and had to smile at that. Suit now more red than white, he sailed through the floating carrion pile and its galaxy of blood droplets, tensed to fire at anything that moved, yet at the same time eager to rush to its side. Such a contrast of feelings always startled him upon entering combat, just like at Endymion when he helped treat those Moebius Zero pilots Rau shot down. He was supposed to finish them if they resisted capture, even as every instinct in him made him want to bandage their wounds before time ran out.

Well, right now if they so much as glared at him, he would show no mercy. The Blue Cosmos would not-could not be forgiven. Ever. Rau and Chairman Zala were right about that. So long as they did these things….

The face of a young woman, maybe the mother of these children floated by him, staring in glazed terror at the last thing her eyes beheld, several red holes dotting her dress. He silently closed her eyes and paused for a moment in prayer, then moved on ahead.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Are you sure she's not in this ship either?" Athrun Zala asked with doubt in his voice. He'd tried every space liner and freighter fleeing this colony and not a single one seemed aware of the famous Coordinator pop star's presence. They'd heard she was in Aliot at least.

"Where are you, Lacus?" He growled to himself, the Aegis obeying instantly to his hands, dashing down toward the Mistrals. "What have you done with my fiancée you racist bastards," he screamed, firing the beam rifle at several of the annoying little things. They were like mosquitoes, the Mistral.

They were like mosquitoes _with claws_, and getting too close-he transformed and viced three of the things, physically feeling each of the Aegis' claws stab into the mobile armors and wishing he could feel or see the pilots turn to red paint on the blades.

He pulled back and blasted through the wreckage with his Scylla, the red beam cutting away five more Mistral as he worked it to the right and left like a search light. The Aegis transformed to spear form and rocketed upwards toward the growing mass of wreckage where Rusty danced about the last three transports, one of which listed to the side dangerously like a ship taking on water, only in reverse-air spewing out with tiny specks that wriggled like distant microbes beneath a magnifying lens. People?

The Aegis lit its sulfurous eyes and charged up, Athrun ignoring the jetsam, some of it distinctly human-shaped. So what if his father may have been part of the whole Copernicus fiasco? So what if he accidentally shot a reporter and led a battle in the middle of a city? This made anything ZAFT had ever done-screw that-anything all the Coordinators ever made had done look like a joke. These monsters had been slaughtering each other since history began and they would keep doing it to anyone different from them until someone put up a wall.

ZAFT was supposed to be that wall. "Some wall we turned out to be," he muttered, opening the Aegis up to its combat form and firing both beam rifle and Scylla, tearing away at the Mistral swarms.

"Monsters! Frankensteins!" Someone shouted over the com, a Mistral gunning in, machinegun blazing away.

The bullets pinged uselessly off the Aegis' crimson armor as it fired up all four beam sabers and ripped the Mistral to little yellow shreds of molten steel, not caring if the shreds painted themselves on the Gundam's hull and cooled there.

"For the preservation of our pure and blue world!" Someone screamed, a Mistral rocketed in, grabbing hold of the Aegis' arm as it transformed and fired a shot into a new target. Three more of the machines swooped in, grabbing hold of the Aegis and clamping down with their loading claws.

A warning appeared on the Aegis' monitor, indicating a growing strain of power from the battery to the armor. "So," he muttered, eyes narrowing. The Aegis slowly spun, arms and legs drawn out with the Mistral attached like army ants latched to pray. "The weakness of Phase Shift."

It didn't matter if they couldn't damage the Aegis. The Phase Shift was still having its energy taxed. Without a near infinite power source to draw from, like maybe a nuclear reactor or battery that had days worth of power at the ready, the armor hastily depleted when constant force was applied. Athrun experienced this in Heliopolis, but that had been a different scenario, where he'd only needed to power the armor and could leave the other systems save life support inactive.

Here in combat was another thing. He couldn't just power down his beam weapons, or his sensors or engines. That would leave his Aegis a useless hunk of metal to be taken away as a trophy.

" I need assistance," he called, hacking away at the Mistral with his sabers like a man would flies, ripping the pests apart by the dozen as they stormed in on him. More and more latched on by the second.

The power meter lost several green bars, now in the yellow zone. He had roughly twenty minutes of power remaining, by the look of it. So the arms took more power from the PS than the torso did when pressure was applied? How that figured Athrun couldn't tell, but analyzing this _prototype's _quirks would not help him right in the immediate future.

"Nicol! You're buddy's getting dogpiled," Rusty warned, his GINN barrelrolling over his own Mistral following, blowing a whole payload of their missiles away with his rifle. "I'm running low on ammo. These things-how many are there!?"

"Some fifty more to go, I imagine," Rau Le Creuset's composed voice filled the cockpits, the stark white GINN HM dashing in under twin pillars of beam cannon fire from the _Vesalius _and a hail of missiles_. _The remnants of the _Nelson _class blew apart, stealing from the Mistrals a rearm and repair depot.

"Sir, I don't think I brought enough clips," Rusty began, kicking a Mistral over to Rau, who neatly sliced it in twain with his sword bayonet. "Care to let us in on your grand strategy."

"Why, Rusty you cut me to the quick on that one," Rau chuckled, spiraling down into the fray, firing his rifle as well as slashing with the sword, now in the opposing hand, leaving a path of devastation in his wake, Mistral parts blowing to pieces as the warship continued pumping missiles at them, catching the warheads following Rau as an added bonus.

Rusty took the opportunity to empty his second to last clip on the missiles, tearing them to pieces. One blew with tremendous light, blinding him for a sec before his screen dampener kicked in to shut out the flare's sun-like glow.

"Tricky, for a Natural," he muttered, bringing down his bayonet on the offending Mistral even as Rau did.

The two broadswords impaled the machine at near right angles, engine fluid staining them a glossy color form the smear.

"Mind if I carve with you, Sir Creuset?"

"Not at all, so long as you do most of the carving."

* * *

SEED

* * *

Without warning seven Mistral became shish kebabed on a long, silver lancer dart. The Blitz materialized with a flicker of light, its Phase Shift activating almost instantly in its place, turning the grey armor black. It's eyes glinted emerald as it whipped out a beam saber and carved up three more. The remaining leaches let go of the Aegis and emptied their missiles in a frantic swarm. The Aegis opened up with its CIWS and beam rifle, blowing away some.

Most however, got through and unleashed their collective payload of missiles in retribution. "For the Pure and Blue!"

Screaming, both Nicol and Athrun nearly blacked out as their Gundams flew beyond the fiery wave, battered near senseless by the shockwaves.

The Mistral pilots regained their courage, flying in with machine guns ablaze. Trikeros and beam rifle returned fire, xanthous and green rods of blazing energy melting into the Mistrals like hot pokers through butter.

"F-fucking beams," the last pilot wailed as static engulfed his transmission.

Athrun returned his attention on the last space liner, its engines pouring flames but still doggedly making for the safety of the _Vesalius, _which had found itself entangled within a net of interdiction cable. Someone set that trap-but how could these terrorists know they were coming?

"Athrun, are you alright?" Nicol asked, his Gleipnir punching through two Mistral and opening into a claw-snagged a third. He reeled it in and whipped back his right arm, spun a lance dramatically before plunging it into the Mistral.

"Monst"-the pilot's words abruptly disappeared within a loud thud as the lance drove home.

"Fine, thanks for the save back there."

"You would have figured a way on your own," Nicol replied, sniffing bashfully before rocketing up into the main battle, spearing two more while his Gleipnir circled him like a deadly giant killer bee, punching huge holes through one Mistral after another.

Athrun moved to the rear of the ship and transformed to mobile armor mode-sank the Aegis' teeth right into the ship. Engaging full power to thrusters, the Gundam and the ship's failing engines started gaining some real speed.

"Doctor Mikhail," he called, "what's the situation in there?"

"Bad-those terrorists were the worst sort. They came to terrorize before they blew away the whole ship. It seems we have some friendly Naturals in here too. We need to take them all to a _real _hospital, Athrun—Rau?"

"I'm here, Mikhail."

"Can we take control of this colony? Because if we don't do something a lot of people could end up dead."

"How many soldiers were in on this?" Rusty demanded, lining up a shot with his Cattus on a trail of Mistral single-mindedly hunting Rau's much faster and sleeker GINN HM.

"Let's see if I can pick off only the ugly ducklings," Rusty called, firing two consecutive shots that sent the whole line of armors into a tumbling wreckage. "Whoops, that would be _all _of them. So about the soldiers?"

"Mostly gas or poison by the looks of it," Mikhail replied. "The air's contaminated and I don't have the room nor equipment to handle them all in the _Vesalius._ Wounds from shrapnel and gunfire is minimal—most of the ones that suffered that are dead already."

"Already on a solution, Mikhail," Rau replied, turning to smile in spite of himself as the Duel and Buster rocketed from the _Vesalius,_ the Buster unleashing a wave of missiles from both its launchers and firing with each rifle. The firepower converged on the closed doors to Aliot's spaceport, blowing a sizable gap in them. The Duel arrived to add fire from its Cattus, Yzak's grumblings and complaints still coming across the line in a ceaseless stream.

"Com silence please if you have nothing of benefit to add," Rau warned to the acidic pilot. Really, he was the one who wanted to fight, and now that Rau had given him the chance, he was complaining for his machine's austerity? Rau chuckled at the unending selfishness of mankind. Or Yzak in this case. Well, he would be repaid for it later, like everyone else when his bill arrived.

In the meantime, the last ship managed passed the wires, with help from the Aegis as it grabbed them in its hand form and drew them back, making openings in the net. The Mistral all gave up and scattered, and with so many, Rau refused to hear of the Gundams or Rusty giving chase.

"Go and secure Aliot with Yzak and Dearka," he commanded firmly in that voice that brooked no argument, lips pealed down in an almost snarl.

"Right, hey guys, don't wreck the colony!" Rusty shouted to his teammates, "this isn't Heliopolis!"

"It's worse—this is a 'Pure' colony!" Yzak retorted viciously. "Why can't we do as we please?"

"It is also the only one with a sizable hospital remember," Mikhail warned.

"Please don't destroy anything more, the Princess would be very angry," Nicol added, "and so would I…"

"Oh shut up prettyboy," Yzak snapped.

"That's enough," Rusty called out before Rau had to jump in again and bring order. "Get to work before we all get put on toilet duty again."

Athrun sighed and continued pushing the liner, eager not to be part of this operation. Working with Yzak and Dearka and Rusty all at once could get very hectic. Besides…his energy meter read about two more minutes and was going down steadily. A battery leak or something was taking way too much power than should be.

"Athrun, was there any sign of Ms. Clyne?" Rau inquired, the GINN HM coming to float alongside the red Gundam.

"No Sir," Athrun admitted with a heavy sigh. "At least not from the quick inquiries. I assumed they would know though, given how popular she is."

"Her pink hair is hard to miss, I would imagine a quick check by eye will confirm or disprove their information. Until then, I am moving on ahead to make sure they do not slip by us."

"Why would the refugees want to get away from _us_?"

"Not all Coordinators take kindly to ZAFT, sad as it is to say," Rau replied. "Don't strain yourself anymore. Go to the _Vesalius _and resupply. We don't want that battery leak to get worse."

"Right away," The Aegis transformed to mobile suit mode and floated over to the now freed _Nazca, _entering by its opened hatch.

* * *

SEED

* * *

"Get back! Acid leak! Get some birdlime over here!" The chief engineer shouted frantically as the back of the Aegis opened up and a large, dark block ejected several feet out of its socket. A viscous liquid the color of saliva with a tinge of green erupted from the cube, spraying all about the hanger.

Athrun's eyes widened as he moved toward the locker room, his ears filling with the sound of hissing acid eating away at the deck plating and essentially whatever it touched. Someone screamed, clutching at their arm.

"That was a bad leak, you're lucky it didn't explode in mid-combat," the chief engineer said, coming up to stand beside Athrun.

"You're telling me," Athrun agreed. "Good thing…Commander Le Creuset, _told me,_" he covered his mouth and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Something wrong with the Commander?"

"It's nothing." Athrun looked back up at the Aegis and its faulty battery pack, not seeing it after a time, now interposed by Rau's masked face, grinning as it turned to face him.

_I don't remember telling him about the battery, _he said to himself, sure that it was true. But how then? Well, he must have spoken into the com without meaning to. Odd though, he remembered switching it back on to speak with his commander. A coincidence, it had to be.

Turning about, he stalked toward the lockers, glancing to the side as Cagalli Yula Athha floated nearby, watching the workers cleaning up the battery acid.

"Have a good time raiding a colony?" She asked with a partial smile.

Athrun whirled on her-as much as summon could in zero g-did a complete spin and grabbed hold of the railing, pushing toward her and letting all the anger flame in his eyes. She tensed and pushed away, obviously not liking those flames.

"It was not a raid on them, it was a raid on _us! _Worse than that, it was a butchery! They tried gassing the passengers to those ships!" He shouted, not caring who heard. They'd all be on his side in any case. "They were civilians living normal lives until today when those Blue Cosmos bigots decided they were a 'sin' or _disease_. I was saving them! If you took time to come up with insults, try to see the truth!"

Cagalli opened her mouth, but for once seemed at a loss. "Well at least you got there in time," she finally stated.

"Not even close enough, if what Doctor Mikhail said is true. My fiancée was supposed to be there-they don't know where she is now. Until I find out it wasn't soon enough. Guess you'd think a deviant rapist like me wouldn't have a lover would you?"

"I didn't say that…" Cagalli looked away. "Sorry, I guess I've been misjudging you a bit too harsh for taking me prisoner."

"Well keep it in mind while we let you wonder the ship unattended like a guest," Athrun spat, pausing with his head outside the locker room entrance, "We may be Coordinators, but we have human hearts too." He jerked his head inside before he had to endure her reply and palmed the door closed, happy to hear it hiss shut.

Lacus was fine, he told himself. _She may stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd, but she has resources and careful bodyguards. There is nothing to worry about. _Why was he telling himself this?

The Archangel

Kira Yamato sighed and tried to toss over on his other side, unable to sleep. Then he remembered that he could not for the same reason he was awake, the stupid Velcro straps holding him to the bed. Why couldn't someone make straps on the covers themselves so they could attach to the sides of the bed or something? Whoever heard of these things? He ripped off the accursed things running over his chest and ankles, floating out of the bed.

He looked over at Tolle, who had long ago decided that the person who invented the beds had intended their use in an insane asylum or something perhaps a trifle perverse, and took to sleeping in the air. He rarely bumped into Kira, but there had been enough collisions for Tolle to tie a loose string around his ankle, keeping him to one side of the room. Kira didn't have one so he free-floated, doubting he'd get any real sleep. He felt sure a battle could start and Tolle not notice it. He was practically as dead as a log. Equally so, the robot bird Birdy floated in sleep mode nearby—and Kira intended for him to remain that way until they got off at Ame no Mihashira.

Worst of it all for Kira, who had never been the most heavy of sleepers, was that he felt sure half the trouble beside the bed involved the door…

He resolved this would be the night he stayed completely awake and stand watch. Tolle had this ridiculous notion that it was Mir trying peek on him in his sleep, something Kira assured was not the case—Mir would simply come on in without hesitation, he knew. He'd caught her last night doing just that. Really, he was almost tempted to throw them both in here one night and stay out in the halls to let nature take its course.

But that would mean sleeping alone somewhere out there. And he _could not stand_ the thought. After all, Mir was not the only visitor to their cabin…

Kira did not know who it was. He knew only that during his sleep for the entire time aboard the ship by his reckoning, he had been aware of a presence hanging over him. It was one of those blasted cases of near-wakefulness where he fought desperately for consciousness to see who was there. It reminded him of trying to wake up when his dad checked on him when he was very little: able to hear, but not open his eyes in time to catch his dad's retreating back.

Like then, when he awoke only Tolle's incomprehensible mutterings greeted his ears, with the other boy coddling a pillow like he'd been doing ever since Kira had known him—no stranger shrouded in the dark, looming at his bedside.

Nevertheless, he always awoke in those moments with the memory of the door sliding shut and locking still in his ears. Was that imagination? No, it couldn't be, his hearing was too good, even Tolle agreed. If Kira heard the door lock, then it locked.

Kira rubbed his neck, where a tiny red bump itched fitfully as if pleading for another bite of some bedbug. But there were no bedbugs onboard the _Archangel, _the quartermaster had assured him several times. And the doors were locked at all times outside of a combat alert unless Tolle or Kira wished otherwise.

"I'm getting paranoid," he told himself after almost two hours of waiting in silence. Nothing seemed to be happening that night. It didn't happen _every _night, just most nights. He'd picked wrong.

His eyelids drooped. In the near darkness, with the door's control panel giving off a soft green light, Kira had trouble determining if his eyes were really open or not. When the green totally faded, he started awake and checked his watch. "I've been asleep for an hour," he muttered to himself.

"I love you at any hour, Miri," Tolle mumbled from somewhere on his side of the room.

_Klick._

The door slid open a quarter, light blinding Kira's eyes. The black silhouette's indistinct mouth tightened in a frown. Kira froze as he felt cold air rush into his face like ice, chilling him with the sensation of a hateful gaze. The door hissed shut and he heard the lock click.

In the silence he floated with his heart racing after the fact, taking deep breaths. That face had not been Mir or any other girl, pretty or not.

He'd heard stories of cases like this, those inexplicable senses like feeling eyes at the back of your head, this one sending danger chills arching up his spine like coils of electricity, this visitor was one he could _not_ afford to let in again. If he did….what? What would this person possibly want with him? It couldn't be Blue Cosmos. A Blue Cosmos would have killed him already-and probably done it by going to some high official. If they wanted proof of DNA they would only need one or two samples, not multiples so that theory fell through when it came to the almost constant visitations.

That left one, and for some reason Kira could not suppress a growing fear. He'd not been this bad off since he slept in his apartment for the first time after his parents died. He'd always been alone, but not _alone_…in the world, the last Yamato without anyone to rely on, especially with Athrun moving and Tolle on another side of town at the time.

He gripped his arms, this felt different. This fear had a stronger taint. Some mysterious part of his mind deep down in the middle of his brain pan screamed at him, "Trapped!" _Trapped. I could tell Captain Ramius, that might help. _He remembered the locked door, and assumed whoever it was could control the locks at will.

So moving in to destroy any recorded evidence from surveillance cameras would probably not be beyond this enemy.

The door unlocked again. He braced himself against the back wall, ready to spring at his foe and make a break for it.

"Kira, are you alright?" A woman's voice called. Karin Macintosh? What was _she_ doing here?

"I'm fine," he called, confused. "Did you see who it was?"

"Who?"

"Who unlocked the door, they had to be just outside," Kira replied, drifting to the door and letting it slide open. He blinked in the glare of the light, Karin floated nearby. He recovered and stared down the halls, all empty.

"I did not see anyone," Karin replied with a frown. "You said they unlocked the doors? Only Tolle and the quartermaster have access to this room. And me, because I'm still technically responsible for all of you."

"I know but-someone was here." Kira insisted, looking confused. In the light of the hallway it felt like a bad dream.

"I'll check the cameras later and see if anyone stopped by," Karin offered. "Go on to bed, you need your rest on a warship. Never know when an attack could come."

"Yeah…attacks," Kira mumbled starting to drift back in.

"Are you sure you're alright, Kira? The stress from piloting the Strike has worn on you. No one is forcing you to do it, right?"

"They all need our help, you know what situation we are in," Kira said.

"I know. Don't get defensive," she reached out, as if to brush his cheek.

Kira felt the muscles around his eyes and brow twitch at the attempted contact. Karin watched him with a peculiar-almost longing look.

"I'm tired, if you will excuse me-

-do you want to escape, Kira?"

"What?" He stopped, hand on the door control.

Karin's face grew dark, "do you want to escape?"

"I…Ms. Karin..I thought you just said, are you serious?"

"Kira, if someone is watching you than you may not be safe. We should leave, first chance we get inside the Strike. You can pilot it well-with it ZAFT will welcome us with open arms. We can go. You can be free," she tried to touch him again.

Kira opened his mouth to reply, but no sound escaped him but a brief croak. He jerked his hand away from her touch, ignoring her own gasp of displeasure. Her hand curled slowly and dropped to her side.

What about everyone here? Would he have to fight with Athrun? Somewhere deep inside, a part of his heart leapt for joy at the thought of fighting alongside his friend, of having friends who would never back down from him or reproach him for Coordinated talents he never asked for. Of living with all that daily fear of hurting someone by accident gone.

"I could make preparations. Your friends will be safe so long as George Allster watches of over Flay. Kira!"

He squeezed his eyes shut as he sailed back into his room and closed the door. "I'm sorry, I can't." _What was that just now, is she crazy? ZAFT destroyed Heliopolis!_ Back pressed against the door, he locked it, but that brought him no comfort.


End file.
